While Masai Ujiri was cautious discussing Jason Kidd’s future, the new Dallas Mavericks executive showed far more enthusiasm when speaking about reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
The 19-year-old forward is expected to become the centerpiece of Dallas’ long-term plans following the organization’s surprising lottery win despite holding only a 1.8 percent chance at securing the top selection.
Ujiri revealed that he had strongly pursued Flagg while running the Toronto Raptors, who entered last year’s lottery with a 7.5 percent chance at the No. 1 pick but did not land him.
The president of basketball operations also addressed the franchise’s transition into a new era following the departure of Luka Doncic, whom he described as a future Hall of Famer.
“Luka is a Hall of Famer – a future Hall of Famer,” he said. “That’s the past. In Africa, we say, ‘When kings go, kings come,’ and a king went. We have a little prince here that we are going to turn into a king.”
The comments signaled Ujiri’s belief that Flagg can eventually become the face of the Mavericks franchise and one of the league’s next young stars.
Dallas now enters a pivotal offseason under new leadership as Ujiri begins reshaping the organization around Flagg while evaluating the current coaching staff and roster structure.
Masai Ujiri Noncommittal On Jason Kidd's Future, Eager To Build Around Cooper Flagg https://t.co/NMD6qijXiz
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 6, 2026
