CHICAGO — Mike Schmitz stood at the NBA Draft Lottery podium Sunday afternoon at Chicago’s McCormick Place two days into his job as the Dallas Mavericks‘ general manager, in the same building where he spent years working the same event as a member of the media.
Schmitz, 35, was hired Friday by the president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, to run the Mavericks’ draft and roster operations, joining the franchise from the Portland Trail Blazers‘ front office. He spent the prior portion of his career as ESPN’s lead NBA Draft analyst.
“It’s been chaotic in a beautiful way. It’s not lost on me what an amazing opportunity this is,” Schmitz said. “I’m 35 years old, and to be able to be a general manager for such a prestigious organization, working in unison with Masai, obviously Patrick Dumont, and the rest of the ownership group believing in me, it’s a really, really important time.”
A Path Built Through Scouting and Media
Schmitz credited his time at ESPN and in Portland for shaping the foundation he is bringing to Dallas.
“A lot of really good people helped me along the way. A lot of these people up here at ESPN were a big part of it,” Schmitz said. “A lot of hours and belief in your work, belief in your process, studying and learning from people and building relationships and connections.”
Schmitz said his time with the Trail Blazers exposed him to the operational pieces of running an NBA franchise.
“I was thankful to be around a lot of really smart people, thankful to be around a lot of really smart players. So I think being able to take things from both of them — on the coaching side, on the front office side, dealing with players,” Schmitz said. “Those experiences really shaped my career to get to this point, and I’m very thankful.”
Schmitz said he wants to bring cross-department collaboration to Dallas.
“Dealing with people, process, all different types of departments, health and performance, all those things, and how they collaborate together. That’s what I want to bring to Dallas,” Schmitz said.
A Long-Standing Relationship with Masai Ujiri
Schmitz said his relationship with Ujiri was built over years of international scouting trips, with the two crossing paths in gyms across multiple continents.
“I’ve done a lot of scouting internationally, and when I first got into the scouting space and was out on the road, we were in the same gyms for years and years — whether that’s in Africa or Europe or in the States,” Schmitz said. “So I’m really thankful for that relationship and him bringing me on board.”
Schmitz said he expects the working dynamic with Ujiri to translate smoothly into their new roles.
“Obviously, we’ve had a long-standing relationship, and I think him being able to trust in me and me being able to lean on him in a variety of different areas — I think it’s going to work great,” Schmitz said.
Ujiri, asked about the hire, said Schmitz had been on his radar for years.
“I’ve known him for many, many years. Incredible scout, incredible leader. He digs deep into work, data, and everything you want to know about scouting players and team building,” Ujiri said. “Treating people well, staff organizing, managing people — it’s the whole package you want in these things.”
Confidence at No. 9 and a Build Around Cooper Flagg
Schmitz said he is confident the Mavericks can come away from the No. 9 pick with a long-term rotation player in what he and others around the league have described as one of the deepest draft classes in recent years.
“Very confident. We want someone who can bring a variety of different skills and bring kind of a mentality that we’re looking for,” Schmitz said. “But we’re really confident we can get a rotation-level player, and we’re going to do everything we can.”
Schmitz said no position has been ruled out at No. 9 and that Cooper Flagg’s versatility opens the door to a wide range of fits.
“He’s so versatile. I think that’s the beauty of Cooper. He can play with the ball, he can play without the ball. He’s got such a high IQ, and he defends multiple positions at a high level,” Schmitz said. “So I think there are a multitude of different players that can fit with that style, and I think that allows us to be really creative with different lineups.”
Schmitz asked what stands out most about Flagg, and pointed to the rookie’s poise.
“Just the feel, the IQ, the versatility. Those are all things that we really value. His demeanor, his temperament — you can’t speed him up. His IQ is so mature for that age. So really impressive,” Schmitz said.
Schmitz said his immediate priorities are building relationships within the organization and preparing for the NBA Draft Combine, which begins this week in Chicago.
“The priorities are just, one, getting to know everyone. This is new. I took the job two days ago, so building those relationships,” Schmitz said. “And then on top of that, just going through the process of film, intel, all those things so we can gather all the right information and make the right decision.”
The 2026 NBA Draft will be held Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
