A new report indicates that the Dallas Mavericks are leaving no stone unturned in their general manager search ... even if they are some of the boulders of the industry.
The Dallas Mavericks have been without a permanent general manager since Nov. 11 when embattled Nico Harrison was canned, due in large part to his ill-fated decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis last February.
Executives Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley have been covering day-to-day operations under co-interim titles, but the Mavs are expected, in an effort led by team governor Patrick Dumont, to initiate a league-wide search during the offseason.
The organization's CEO Rick Welts indicated that the June 25 NBA Draft is a good deadline where the team hopes to have already found its next permanent GM.
Now a report has surfaced that the team is "aiming high" on who that could be.
Sports Illustrated insider Chris Mannix believes the Mavs will target some of the biggest names across NBA front offices, including the Thunder's Sam Presti and Celtics' Brad Stevens.
"I’m told that Patrick Dumont, the team’s governor, is aiming high," Mannix says. "Among the names on Dumont’s wish list, per league sources: Oklahoma City executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, Minnesota president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and Boston president Brad Stevens. Cleveland top exec Koby Altman’s name is also in the mix, a source said."
Mannix also says Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has had conversations about moving into an executive role, but that the team would prefer he remains the coach in order to bring continuity to rookie phenom Cooper Flagg as he continues to develop into not just the face of the franchise, but one of the best young players in the league.
Flagg's emergence, a future Hall of Famer in Kyrie Irving, a likely top-10 draft pick this summer, and a cast of role players with NBA Finals exprience could all be enticing factors that would reel in a potential candidate ... however lofty those may appear.
Presti has become regarded as one of the savviest builders in all of sports with his keen eye to acquiring future talent and recognizing when to make a major trade. His deal to move off of Paul George to acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a treasure chest of future draft capital speaks for itself.
Stevens is comfortable in the front office after he made the jump from the sidelines to the executive suite years ago. Boston has maintained success, as well, including a recent championship over the Mavs in 2024.
"Most of these names are fanciful, of course (Stevens isn’t going to Dallas, folks)," Mannix clarifies. "But it strongly suggests that Dumont is looking for someone with a proven track record of success to lead the Mavericks moving forward."
That mindset, ultimately, is what Mark Cuban deemed as one of his demises in his operation of the Mavericks this decade. Cuban hired Harrison after a career as an executive with Nike and no prior experience running a team whatsoever.
It's a regret that joins Cubans' recent remarks about who he sold his majority ownership stake to, Dumont's mother-in-law Miriam Adelson. The new owners are associates in Las Vegas Sands Corp. and are also getting into the basketball business for the first time.
While those regrets loom over the current state of affairs, it appears that Dumont is at least making it known that he's going in a more experienced direction for the next GM.
Whether he has enough pull to draw one of the best executives away from their current role elsewhere remains to be seen.
