The Dallas Mavericks are set for another major change at the top, with CEO Rick Welts planning to step down at the end of the year.
Welts, who was brought out of retirement in December 2024, was hired with a clear mission: help the Mavericks map out their next arena. That assignment eventually led the team and the city of Dallas to a new site, the former Valley View Mall on the north side of Dallas.
Patrick Dumont wanted Welts for a very specific reason. Welts had already done this kind of work before with the Golden State Warriors, helping identify the location for Chase Center and shape the entertainment district around it.
The Mavericks are aiming to open the new arena in 2031, when their lease at the downtown American Airlines Center runs out. Building will need to begin soon to stay on schedule, but the organization appears to have gotten what it wanted from Welts.
Welts was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 for his work with the Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics, and the NBA on All-Star Weekend development.
Ethan Casson will take over as CEO, the team announced Wednesday. Casson is already a president within the organization and oversees the day-to-day business side.
He joined the Mavericks in 2025 after serving as CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he handled the Timberwolves, Lynx, and Iowa Wolves. Before that, he worked with the San Francisco 49ers and played a role in their Levi Stadium project, including securing a 20-year, $220 million naming-rights deal.
The transition had been the expectation when Casson was hired, and it will become official on January 1.
Welts had originally replaced Cynthia Marshall, who served as CEO from March 2018 through the end of 2024 and remains in an advisory role with the organization.
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