Dirk Nowitzki reveals Mavericks’ Masai Ujiri’s pitch for return to franchise after Nico Harrison beef
How Dirk Nowitzki was approached by Mavericks president Masai Ujiri following Nico Harrison’s dismissal during the offseason.
Ahead of Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri’s first season as president since replacing Nico Harrison, Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki revealed how he was approached by the organization over the summer. After Ujiri hired Dusty May as Mavericks head coach, he attempted to recruit Nowitzki.
Nowitzki discussed Ujiri’s approach during the offseason in an exclusive interview with The Stein Line’s Marc Stein.
“Everybody knows that I pulled back there for a while. There were some things done that I didn’t agree with, and I kind of just pulled back from the franchise. I’ve known Masai for a long time. We’ve already had some discussions on what’s going to transpire in the future. He obviously wants me to be part of the Mavericks, but I think these things are still early and will happen soon. Of course, I have my job as an analyst, and FIBA on the board, so I travel a ton.
“There’s nothing really imminent here in the near future, but, as we know, I’m a Maverick for life. I’d love to be around. Maybe one day come around more and more; maybe have some input at some point, but it’s going to be hard for me when I travel a ton with Amazon every week. We’ll see what the future still holds. But I’ll always wish the Mavs well. I always follow the team, obviously, closely. We’ll see what kind of season we have,” Nowitzki concluded.
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki signed with Amazon Prime Video as a studio analyst for their inaugural season of NBA coverage. He was named Chair of the FIBA Players Commission in 2019. Nowitzki pulled back from his close ties with the Mavericks organization after Mark Cuban sold his shares of the team in 2023. The Mavericks named Masai Ujiri president following the 2025-26 season.
Nowitzki also weighed in on former Mavericks president Nico Harrison’s famous Luka Doncic trade with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025, criticizing the move that landed the Mavs Anthony Davis, who was traded to the Washington Wizards last season.
Ahead of Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri’s first season as president since replacing Nico Harrison, Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki revealed how he was approached by the organization over the summer. After Ujiri hired Dusty May as Mavericks head coach, he attempted to recruit Nowitzki.