The Dallas Mavericks continue to grapple with the aftermath of trading young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. Every statement from the Mavs’ front office has only intensified the situation.Rick Welts, who recently assumed the role of CEO for the Mavericks, discussed the trade and plans for a new arena in Dallas with Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Welts acknowledged that he “probably underestimated the reaction” from Mavericks fans about the trade. Fans have protested both inside and outside the American Airlines Center, even bringing a casket to the plaza near Dirk Nowitzki’s statue. He also shared his belief that the Mavericks did “the best we can, basically, with the staff and trying to do the right thing with everybody who touches the Mavericks. It’s incredibly emotional, an incredibly difficult time for so many people. But I still believe we’re going to come out on the other side, with a future that’s incredibly bright. That’s kind of my glass-half-full approach there.”
Regarding the new arena, Welts emphasized that it would be “the most important thing I’ll probably do while I’m here, to make sure we get that right.” With the Mavericks’ lease on the AAC running until 2031, the new ownership group, led by the Adelson/Dumont families, has made it clear that they aim to build a new arena with attached casinos.
Welts explained the vision for the arena, saying, “This will look nothing like Chase Center [Golden State Warriors]; it will look nothing like the Intuit Dome [LA Clippers]. This will hopefully be the greatest expression of what Maverick fans would expect when they walk into the arena to see a Mavericks game. It will have everything about Texas and Dallas that we can bring to it, to give it a shape and form that will be a foundation for economic competition over the next 30 or 40 years.”
Despite rumors suggesting the ownership group may consider moving the team due to the controversial Luka Doncic trade, both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Mavs governor Patrick Dumont have denied those claims.
