What is next for the long-time Mavericks executive?
The Dallas Mavericks and new president Masai Ujiri have committed to a full remodel of the front office and top personnel.
Not only was five-year head coach Jason Kidd let go months after a contract extension, Dallas also said goodbye to a top executive, Matt Riccardi, who was a co-interim general manager for the second half of this season after Nico Harrison's firing.
Riccardi was a valuable asset within the Mavs front office. His resume is headlined by his work in maneuvering the Anthony Davis trade to the Washington Wizards at the deadline, which freed up future cap space and formally put the Mavs in rebuild mode with Cooper Flagg front and center.
Amid these front office changes, Ujiri justified his busy first weeks on the job through his effort to seek clarity and communication within the basketball operations department.
"For me, it was really thinking about the future of this team, the structure," Ujiri said. "Sometimes in this organization we need clarity in where we’re going rather than lots of things in the mix. We need to really work in one direction and how we build this team and how we create winning."
Flagg, the newly-crowned Rookie of the Year, represents a rare opportunity for Dallas to quickly return to contention after an underwhelming season. It's a position Ujiri knows he has to capitalize on.
"Every decision we are going to make here is going to be future-based. We have a 19-year-old generational player on our roster, and we have to think that way," Ujiri said. "We’re not going to make decisions based on winning today. [We’re thinking about] what is our future going to look like? What is winning going to look like? How is this organization going to be built?"
Among those questions, the last major pillar left from the former era of the team is Riccardi's partner, Michael Finley. The two were co-interim GMs and were assistants under Harrison.
Ujiri hired Mike Schmitz, a renowned scout and assistant GM who has risen the ranks across the NBA, to be the team's next general manager and spearhead the scouting ahead of this year's NBA Draft.
"For me, it was an incredible fit, because you have to build that in your front office, whether it’s values, whether it’s loyalty, whether it’s treating our staff with respect and setting a tone," Ujiri said of Schmitz. "Mike has been everything. He is the GM of the Dallas Mavericks and we’re going forward to win in this organization, and super aligned, super, super happy having him in this organization."
Finley is now the last executive remaining from the Harrison tenure (aside from owner/governor Patrick Dumont), which remains tainted by the trade of Luka Doncic.
So, what is Finley's future in Dallas?
"I’m discussing with Michael on roles and how he wants to fit in this organization," Ujiri said. "He has run an incredible scouting process and department here. We continue to work with Mike and will discuss what role is appropriate for him and we all see fit going forward, if he wants to continue with us."
The longtime front office member is one of the best players in franchise history, as he was often regarded as the best player during the team's worst era in the late 90s and early 2000s.
It's clear Finley would likely want to continue to help the Mavericks build. He was considered to be a candidate for the director of basketball operations role that Ujiri eventually filled.
"I think I am Dallas. I’m everything Dallas is about," Finley said during the season when asked if he'd be a fit for the job. "I played here, through the good times and the bad times, and as a fan of the Mavericks, I know what it takes and I know what the fans are looking for. So I would love to have the chance to lead this franchise into the future and to ultimately championship contenders.”
With Ujiri at the controls and Finley's spot not yet determined, we'll see if that mindset holds true as the Mavericks enter a new era of leadership.
