The Dallas Mavericks have named Mike Schmitz as their new General Manager.
Schmitz arrives in Dallas from the Portland Trail Blazers, where he served as Assistant General Manager since May 2022. In that role, he was deeply involved in their scouting strategies and in overseeing a Portland team that has been in a rebuilding phase since trading Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023.
Prior to joining Portland’s front office, Schmitz worked for ESPN as a draft analyst from 2017 to 2022, spending much of his time covering NBA prospects. He was known for in-depth scouting reports on players ahead of each draft.
Schmitz has also worked for DraftExpress, a major player evaluation platform, since 2012 – traveling internationally to scout and analyze prospects. He has served as an assistant coach for the Ugandan national basketball team since 2018, a testament to his global reach in identifying new NBA talent. Earlier in his career, he also worked as a video coordinator for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA G League during the 2012-13 season after graduating from the University of Arizona in 2012.
Ujiri, who took over as Mavericks president after a long tenure running the Toronto Raptors’ front office, described some of the things he valued in Schmitz beyond just his scouting resume.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” Ujiri said in the team’s announcement. “He brings intelligence, discipline, humility and a relentless work ethic to everything he does. Just as importantly, he understands how to build an aligned, collaborative culture across every part of a basketball organization. We are building something special in Dallas, and Mike will be a major part of that vision.”
“Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz added. “I have tremendous respect for Masai, this ownership group and the vision they have for the future of this franchise. I’m excited to get to work alongside the talented people already in place and help build a championship-caliber organization.”
The Mavericks front office has undergone significant changes over the past year alone, following the departure of Nico Harrison and the team’s overall restructuring plans under Ujiri’s leadership. Dallas finished the 2024-25 season without a playoff or play-in game, after reaching the NBA Finals in 2024 and – of course – losing Luka Dončić in a trade to the Lakers in 2025, as The Dallas Express covered at the time.
For a Mavericks team still finding its footing after a turbulent season, Schmitz – at minimum – gives Ujiri a trusted basketball mind to help chart the next chapter.
A Look Back: The Mavericks’ GM History
The GM role in Dallas has seen dramatic highs and lows over the past two decades.
- Donnie Nelson (2002–2021): Nelson spent 24 seasons with the franchise and was widely credited for orchestrating the draft-day trades that landed both Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Dončić, per NBA.com. Under his watch, the Mavericks made the playoffs in 17 of his final 21 seasons and won their only NBA championship in 2011.
- Nico Harrison (2021–2025): Dallas went 182-157 during Harrison’s tenure, which included runs to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA Finals. His time ended abruptly after he traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025 for Anthony Davis, prompting widespread backlash. Harrison was fired following a poor start to the 2025-26 season.
- Mike Schmitz (2026–present): Schmitz steps into the role under a restructured front office led by President Masai Ujiri, with the franchise now building around No. 1 pick, and potential Rookie of The Year – Cooper Flagg.
