Dirk Nowitzki remains optimistic about the Dallas Mavericks’ future without Luka Doncic. Former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison shocked the world in February 2025 by trading Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Many described the Doncic trade as the worst in NBA history, and Harrison lost his job less than 12 months later. The Mavericks have since entered a rebuild centered around future superstar Cooper Flagg and 2016 NBA champion Kyrie Irving.
Mavericks legend Nowitzki has not let the fallout from Doncic’s departure affect his belief in the franchise. The 48-year-old believes they can return to the NBA Finals in the foreseeable future under new president Masai Ujiri.
Dirk Nowitzki backs Masai Ujiri to turn Mavericks around
Masai Ujiri earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s best executives with the Toronto Raptors. His next challenge is to return the Dallas Mavericks to the pinnacle of the Western Conference.
Well, Ujiri already has Dirk Nowitzki’s seal of approval. The German insists it is an exciting time for the Mavericks despite fans losing confidence in the team following Luka Doncic’s controversial move to the LA Lakers.
“We are in [Ujiri’s] corner,” Nowitzki told The Athletic at his annual tennis event. “We all want the Mavericks to go back to where they were. Just a few years ago, we were a Finals team. There is a lot of work to be done. We are excited.”
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Ujiri has already made several changes to the Mavericks’ roster since joining in May. Most notably, the 56-year-old fired Jason Kidd after five seasons as the Mavs’ head coach and replaced him with former Michigan Wolverines coach Dusty May.
The Mavs President drafted Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio de Larrea in the first round of this year’s draft and acquired Zaccharie Risacher, Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser and Tarik Biberovic in trades. They now have a fairly deep roster that should contend for a Play-In spot in the West.
“A lot of changes,” Nowitzki reflected on the Mavericks’ busy offseason. “He brought a lot of his own guys in. It will be a fun little ride watching how this is going to go. New coach. New general manager (Mike Schmitz). He has obviously done a lot. We will see how all this pans out.”
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