Mavs Announce Management Changes As CEO Rick Welts To Retire

DALLAS - Ethan Casson will take over as chief executive officer and alternate governor of the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 1, 2027, the team announced Wednesday.

Why the change? Rick Welts, 73, retires Dec. 31.

“At the time I said yes, I said yes for two years,” Welts told Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News in a joint interview with Casson.

Welts told NBA commissioner Adam Silver about his plans on Oct. 23, in a private meeting in New York, according to the Morning News. Mavericks employees found out Wednesday morning, ahead of the release.

Casson has been team president since Aug. 11, 2025, in a job Dallas created for him. Day-to-day business operations were his from the start. When the hire was announced July 29 of that year, Welts said in the team’s release that bringing Casson in would give him more time for strategic priorities, the new arena among them.

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont had looked at Casson as a strong candidate to replace Cynthia Marshall in 2024, a year before he came to Dallas, the Morning News reported. Casson was still running the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx then.

“When Ethan joined the Mavericks, we knew we were adding an accomplished leader who could help us build for the long term,” Dumont said. “Watching Rick and Ethan work together has only reinforced our confidence that Ethan is the right person to lead the Mavericks into this next chapter.”

Dumont became governor on Dec. 27, 2023, when his family and Miriam Adelson closed on a majority stake bought from Mark Cuban.

Marshall, CEO since March 2018, announced her retirement in October 2024. On Dec. 18, 2024, Dallas introduced Welts as her replacement and brought him out of retirement to do it.

He first worked for an NBA team in 1969, when the Seattle SuperSonics hired him at 16 as a ball boy.

Welts later served as president of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. From 2011 through 2021, Welts ran the business side of the Golden State Warriors as president and chief operating officer.

The Warriors moved into Chase Center in San Francisco in 2019. Welts went into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2018.

“When I came to Dallas, I saw an extraordinary opportunity to help build something meaningful for the future of this franchise, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made,” Welts said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work side by side with Ethan and I’ve seen firsthand the leadership, integrity, and vision he brings to this organization. I have complete confidence in him and could not feel better about the future of the Dallas Mavericks.”

Welts led the arena search. Dallas shares American Airlines Center with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, and the lease runs out in July 2031.

On April 9, Welts said the team loved the idea of a downtown site, according to The Dallas Morning News. Construction would take about 30 months, he said then, and had to begin by late 2028.

By June 1, the Mavericks had option agreements on 104 of the 110 acres at the old Valley View Mall property in Far North Dallas.

Before Dallas hired him, Casson was CEO and alternate governor of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx for nine seasons. He left Minnesota after the NBA approved the sale of both franchises to a new ownership group in June 2025.

As the San Francisco 49ers’ chief operating officer, Casson closed the 20-year, $220 million naming rights deal for Levi’s Stadium with Levi Strauss & Co.

“Our vision extends well beyond the basketball court,” Casson said. “From developing a world-class arena and entertainment district to deepening our relationships with fans, partners, and the community, we have an opportunity to create something that truly reflects the ambition, energy, and spirit of Dallas.”

Dallas is 2-2.

Cooper Flagg came close to a triple-double in Monday’s 113-109 win over the Miami Heat in Miami.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0), who have ruled out six players, visit American Airlines Center at 8:30 p.m. CT Wednesday.