CEO Rick Welts and president Ethan Casson provided an update on the Mavericks‘ search for a permanent general manager on Thursday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Both executives said the team wasn’t in a rush to make a hire, while Welts confirmed the Mavs are hoping to have a top basketball decision-maker in place ahead of June’s draft.
Dallas currently has Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi operating as co-interim GMs, and both are candidates for the permanent job. Finley believes he’s prepared for the position.
“I think I am Dallas,” Finley said before Thursday’s Mavs Ball. “I’m everything that Dallas is about. I played here through the good times and bad times and as a fan of the Mavericks, I know what it takes and I know what the fans are looking for. I would love to have the chance to lead this franchise into the future and to, ultimately, championship contenders.”
Riccardi, meanwhile, said it hasn’t been difficult to manage being a candidate for the permanent role.
“I think it’s easy for Fin and myself,” Riccardi said. “All we care about is what’s best for the organization. We put the organization first in everything that we do. Let the rest of it take care of itself.”
Multiple sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com praised Riccardi’s experience, relationship-building acumen, “selflessness and substance.”
“He has no ego,” one source said of Riccardi. “That’s who you want running a front office. Just look at where ego got Nico Harrison.”
Previous reports have indicated that the Mavericks are looking at external candidates with experience running a basketball operations department.
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Guard Max Christie and head coach Jason Kidd explained why they believe Cooper Flagg deserves to be named Rookie of the Year on Friday, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. Flagg’s primary competition for the award is his former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel. “To see what he’s doing on a nightly basis – points, rebounds, assists – he’s playing the game at the right level,” Kidd said. “And these names that (people) have brought up are very impressive (to be compared with). I truly believe he deserves rookie of the year. It’s not easy to come in with all the hype and expectations and be able to deliver – if not be even better than what the expectations were.” Last year’s No. 1 overall pick currently ranks in the top five among rookies in all five major counting statistics, tweets play-by-play announcer Mark Followill.
- Veteran forward Khris Middleton considered reaching a buyout agreement with Dallas last month to sign with a playoff contender, but decided to stay with the Mavs, who control his Bird rights. As Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes, the 34-year-old recently signaled he’s open to re-signing with the team this summer. “For sure. I love the city of Dallas, I’ve been here before,” Middleton said when asked if he could see himself playing in Dallas beyond this season. “I’m familiar with Dallas, I love the area. As far as the organization, it’s been great. I stayed here for a reason. I like where things are headed here. I like the way they’re trying to do things here, so we’ll see what happens.”
- Third-year center Dereck Lively II, who is on the mend after suffering a right foot injury in December which required season-ending surgery, recently said he’s making progress in his recovery, as Afseth relays. “I went from being on a scooter, two crutches, and now I can walk around with a cane,” Lively said. “So I’m definitely getting there. Making sure I don’t rush myself, taking it real slow, and making sure that the scans are gonna give me the advice on what I should do. Not how I feel.”