Mike Schmitz last worked for ESPN as an NBA draft analyst. Since 2022, he has been assistant general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers.
DALLAS — New Dallas Mavericks President Masai Ujiri has made the first hire of his tenure with the team in appointing his direct subordinate.
Mike Schmitz has been announced as the franchise’s new General Manager, making him second in charge of the Mavs’ personnel dealings. The hire was announced Friday in a press release by the franchise. Schmitz will report directly to Ujiri, whose own hiring was announced this past Monday.
According to the franchise, Schmitz’s responsibilities are to oversee the day-to-day management and strategic alignment of the Mavs’ basketball operations.
“Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz said in the release. “I have tremendous respect for Masai, this ownership group and the vision they have for the future of this franchise.”
Schmitz brings a diverse background in basketball operations, having worked in several capacities across basketball franchises and media. He is being hired by the Mavs away from the Portland Trail Blazers, who have had Schmitz as their Assistant General Manager since 2022. Before that, Schmitz was a draft analyst for ESPN between 2017 and 2022.
Schmitz has also worked as an assistant coach for the Ugandan national team since 2018 and worked as a scout for DraftExpress starting in 2012, which kept him in constant awareness of talent around the globe. These last two aspects of Schmitz’s past work likely made him an ideal candidate for Ujiri, who was born in Britain, did his most sustained professional work in Canada and has long maintained personal and professional connections to the continent of Africa.
In the Mavs’ release, Schmitz’s role in working across several aspects of Blazers player evaluation and roster strategy was highlighted while Ujiri spoke to Schmitz’s reputation as an evaluator of talent.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” Ujiri said in the release. “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.”
Previously, former Mav Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi shared the general manager position in an interim capacity in the wake of Nico Harrison’s firing last November.
ESPN reports that both men interviewed with Mavs governor Patrick Dumont for the president position prior to Ujiri’s hiring. It is currently unknown what their positions will be in the Mavs organization going forward, or if they will remain with the organization.