LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Mavericks couldn’t make it to the All-Star break without more drama bubbling this week.
On Monday, a report from Marc Stein indicated that an unnamed group of investors wanted to partner with minority owner Mark Cuban to buy back a majority stake in the team from Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, team governor Patrick Dumont.
When The Athletic asked a source close to Mavericks ownership if Adelson and Dumont were considering selling a little more than two years after purchasing the team for $3.5 billion, the response was essentially an eye roll. Adelson and Dumont have no plans to sell and are moving forward with plans to build a new arena within the Dallas city limits, set to open in 2031.
As the Mavericks enter this new Cooper Flagg-focused era, Dumont’s next major decision is to find the right person to run his front office.
Since firing general manager Nico Harrison on Nov. 11, Dumont has solicited input from co-interim general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, head coach Jason Kidd and even Cuban. Once this Mavericks’ season is over, Dumont must choose a permanent lead basketball executive — a decision that, if he gets it right, could go a long way to quieting the controversy that has surrounded this team since the Luka Dončić trade.
In the past year, Mavericks fans have heard Harrison suggest that winning the draft lottery was part of his “vision”; watched as Anthony Davis reported to training camp overweight and then suffered a left calf strain (the same injury Dončić was recovering from when he was traded); and seen the Mavericks go into this season lacking guard creators and then, predictably, struggling to generate offense.
The Mavericks badly need a leader in the front office to provide stability after so much unsteadiness.
Cuban said that, upon selling his majority stake in the Mavericks in December 2023, he would remain in control of basketball operations. Mavericks fans know how that turned out: Harrison — a former Nike executive who had never worked in an NBA front office before his hiring in 2021 — outmaneuvered Cuban and became the most trusted voice in Dumont’s ear until the Dončić trade dinged Harrison’s status.
In the three months since Harrison’s dismissal, league sources have consistently messaged to The Athletic that the Mavericks are unlikely to make another out-of-the-box hire and will greatly value experience in their search.
“After Nico,” one league source with knowledge of the team’s thinking said, “there’s not much room for creativity.”
The source also downplayed the possibility that Kidd could transition to a front office role this summer. Kidd signed a multiyear contract extension with the Mavericks in October — the second time in 17 months that his coaching contract had been extended.
The Mavericks are expected to interview front-office executives currently employed by other teams. They’ll also consider promoting internal candidates.
Dumont signed off on the Davis trade, which his Riccardi- and Finley-led front office brought to him, sending Davis to the Washington Wizards for a collection of expiring contracts, two late first-round picks and three second-round picks. That piece of business created financial flexibility around Flagg moving forward.
Flagg, who missed the Mavericks’ 124-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday with a left foot sprain, has more than lived up to the hype in his first NBA season. He’s averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks. At 19, he does practically everything well, except shooting the 3-ball.
This spring, Dumont will have to decide who the right person is to build out the roster around Flagg. It’s a decision Dumont needs to nail after 12 months of so much tumult.