Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said on Tuesday that the franchise is prepared to earn back fans’ trust following the shocking trade of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Welts spoke on the broadcast during the Mavericks’ loss to the New York Knicks and said he is “listening every day to how fans are feeling about everything,” adding that fans will see “all the ingredients for success” within the organization.
“I think what this really proved to me was the emotional connection between our fans and this team. It’s extraordinary. Unlike anything I’ve seen in my 47 years. And there is a lot of emotion about it. It’s a trade. The wonderful thing about our business is these things have a scorecard,” he explained.
“Time, wins, and losses will tell whether it was a good or bad deal. I’m just gonna promise to our fans right now whatever trust we’ve lost or whatever concerns they have, we’re gonna earn it back because we’re gonna do this the right way and we’re gonna win championships.”
Dallas will have to begin this process quickly, as the team has struggled greatly since trading away the 25-year-old superstar. The Mavericks are now sitting outside the NBA Play-In Tournament with only nine games remaining in the regular season.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Welts said after the trade was completed that he “underestimated” the fan response and did not expect the amount of backlash the franchise received.
The Mavericks could try to earn back fans’ trust by adding another player to the team in the upcoming offseason, using some of the assets acquired in the blockbuster trade.
Many league insiders have linked the Mavericks to Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant, though it remains to be seen whether he will be traded following the season.
Welts further discussed future plans for the Mavericks organization and said the franchise is continuing to look into new arenas, noting that they “need to be in a new arena for the 2031-2032 season,” according to Sports Illustrated.
The Mavericks’ lease at American Airlines Center will expire in 2031, so they have been researching new stadiums within the city limits.
Despite rumors that the Mavericks could move to Irving on land owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Welts said the franchise has a “desire” and made a “commitment” to remain in Dallas.
“What we’re saying to the city is we want to exhaust every possible option in the city of Dallas before considering pivoting to another location in the Metroplex,” he said, as reported by DX.
Welts said multiple sites have already been discussed that could work for this project, but no official decisions have been made to this point.