The first domino of the Portland Trail Blazers’ offseason fell on Friday.
But it had nothing to do with the coaching staff.
Assistant general manager Mike Schmitz is leaving the Blazers to become general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, joining the front office of Masai Ujiri, who earlier this week was named president and alternate governor of the organization.
Advertisement
“Today is a celebration,” Blazers general manager Joe Cronin told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “We’re very happy for Mike to get this great opportunity. It’s well deserved and we’re incredibly thankful for his contributions to the Trail Blazers organization.”
Schmitz arrived in Portland in June 2022, shortly after Cronin was named the Blazers’ general manager, and quickly established himself as an valued voice in the front office, using his extensive background in international scouting to help a franchise in the middle of a multiyear roster rebuild.
Schmitz spent years in international basketball circles as a member of the media before joining the Blazers, first as an early contributor and pioneer for the scouting website DraftExpress, and later as a draft analyst at ESPN. His influence, in part, sparked an international makeover of the Blazers’ roster, which has featured heavy international influence in recent seasons.
Cronin has selected an international player in three of the last four NBA drafts and acquired three more players on the current roster — including All-Star Deni Avdija and All-Defensive Second-Team performer Toumani Camara — via trades. Foreign-born Blazers played nearly 50% of the team’s minutes last season, second-most in the NBA.
Advertisement
Schmitz, who graduated from the University of Arizona, has visited 49 different countries on scouting trips over the years and spent time as an assistant coach for the Ugandan National Team.
Latest Blazers news
He ran into one notable speed bump earlier this year — the Blazers were fined $100,000 and Schmitz and assistant GM Sergi Oliva were briefly suspended for illegally contacting Yang Hansen before he was eligible for the draft — but Schmitz’s eye for talent, leadership and affable personality were widely lauded with the Blazers.
In Dallas, Schmitz will be in charge of the day-to-day management of the basketball operations department, including scouting and player personnel, working in tandem with Ujiri.
Advertisement
“Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz said in a release. “I have tremendous respect for Masai, this ownership group and the vision they have for the future of this franchise. I’m excited to get to work alongside the talented people already in place and help build a championship-caliber organization.”
Read the original article on oregonlive.com. Add oregonlive.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.