Mavericks just hired the exact executive Cooper Flagg was built to play for

If there's one thing that Masai Ujiri loves, it's building around rangy wings. He proved this as general manager of the Toronto Raptors, and he'll have the chance to do the same thing as the Dallas Mavericks' new President and Alternate Governor.

Dallas is the perfect spot for Masai Ujiri

Dallas hired Ujiri on Monday, ending their six-month search for Nico Harrison's replacement, and he will step into one of the best job openings in all of basketball. He gets to build around Cooper Flagg for years to come, and this seems like something he'd love to do when looking at his track record in Toronto.

As the Raptors' GM, Ujiri built around several elite wings. This list includes OG Anunoby, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes. All of these players have elite size, strong defense, and versatility, and having multiple of these players on the roster helped them win the NBA Finals in 2019.

Now, seven years later, Ujiri gets to build around one of the best young wings in the NBA in his first year with his new team. Flagg was named Rookie of the Year last week, and with the types of teams that Ujiri built for the Raptors, it wouldn't be shocking if he targets more wings with size and defense to turn the Mavericks into championship contenders.

The Mavericks have the bones of a Masai team already

He already has Flagg and P.J. Washington to work with, and with the NBA Draft and free agency approaching, we could see the Mavs look to get even bigger as they enter this new era. They have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, along with three draft picks, to use this summer, and Dallas' new president has the tools in front of him to turn things around for the franchise. They have missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons, and Ujiri made a promise to put this behind them.

"We will win in Dallas," Ujiri said following being hired by the Mavericks.

Getting to start with an established roster is a major blessing for Ujiri as he begins this new journey, and even though they have some work to do, they have the pieces to at least compete next season. Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving's returns can't be overlooked, and the Mavericks have the players in place to return to the playoffs.

Flagg alone gives them a great shot at turning into a playoff team, and the players they put around him will ultimately define the early years of this new era. Ujiri's No. 1 goal should be to figure out the identity that he wants his new team to have, and if his Raptors stint proved anything, it's that he loves players like Cooper Flagg.

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