Max Christie

Mavs Notes: Davis, Lineups, Arena Site, Casson, Preseason

July 29th, 2025 at 7:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Injuries prevented the Mavericks from taking a long look at double-big lineups last season. They plan to utilize their size next season in the hopes of making a deep playoff run, Christian Clark of The Athletic writes.

Clark notes that Anthony Davis logged only 95 minutes with either Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford in the middle. Davis is expected to play the bulk of his minutes at power forward next season.

“That’s something we have a huge advantage (with) going forward: our size,” Mavericks assistant coach Josh Broghame said. “The talent with that size, that’s something we put on a premium here, and it’s been really, really good for us so far.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

In the same story, Clark projects the opening night lineup, with Davis and Lively joined by top pick Cooper Flagg in the frontcourt and D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson starting in the backcourt. P.J. Washington, Gafford, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall and Dante Exum or Max Christie are projected to fill out the rotation.
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said that multiple sites for a new arena are being considered and the process is in the early stages. “We have been presented several sites by the city and we are doing a deeper dive on two of them currently to see how viable they are,” he told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “Neither may work and we may refocus on others.” Welts has set a goal of choosing a site by the end of the year or early next year. “The process is going to go on, I would guess, for months. But, no, we’re not like on the 10-yard line,” he added.
Ethan Casson has been named president of business operations for the franchise, Townsend reports in a separate story. Casson announced last month he would step down after nine years as the Timberwolves’ CEO after the sale of the franchise was finalized. He will report to Welts once his new job officially begins on Aug. 11.
The Mavs will play an Oct. 6 preseason game against the Thunder in Fort Worth, according to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal, as well as a neutral site preseason contest in Las Vegas against the Lakers on Oct. 15. The remainder of the preseason slate has yet to be revealed.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Christie, Lazare, Spurs

July 25th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Rockets fans should expect to see much more of the two-big lineups featuring Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams this season, writes Kelly Iko for The Athletic.

Despite the fact that neither are shooters — Sengun made just 23.3% of his three-pointers last season while Adams is 1-of-17 in his career from beyond the arc — Houston found an unexpected level of success playing the duo together. The two skilled international bigs were able to leverage their passing, rebounding, and toughness around the rim to great success, and Iko writes that other Western Conference teams took note and may attempt to follow suit.

Bringing in Clint Capela should help the Rockets manage Adams’ minutes, though since Capela is less of a play-maker than the other two centers, it remains to be seen if they’ll attempt to capture the same type of magic by putting him in lineups with Sengun.

The Rockets know that Sengun will have to expand his range, not just for these lineups, but also to facilitate playing with Amen Thompson, another very limited shooter. Iko writes that becoming more comfortable outside of the three-point line is one of Sengun’s priorities this offseason, and Thompson is hard at work on his jumper as well.

We have more from the Southwest division:

Max Christie is excited to reunite with new Mavericks teammate D’Angelo Russell, writes Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “That’s one of my closest friends and closest teammates,” Christie said. “We were together for two years out in L.A. and I respect him a lot.” Christie has had an eventful start to his career, from playing with LeBron James to being included in a trade for Luka Doncic, to now forming a new young core with Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II to complement Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, when Irving returns from injury. He’s excited for the challenge, citing the day he was traded as his favorite day as an NBA player. “We got a good roster,” he said. “We got a good coaching staff. We’re looking forward to making a big splash in the West.”
The Grizzlies are adding Darnell Lazare onto their coaching staff, Drew Hill reports for The Daily Memphian (subscriber link). Lazare previously worked for the Grizzlies as a player development coach in 2018 before joining the Pelicans in a similar role, notes Damichael Cole writes for Memphis Commercial Appeal. Cole writes that Lazare is expected to work with Memphis’ big man rotation after working closely with Pelicans rookie Yves Missi last season.
The Spurs have committed over $1 billion in funding to San Antonio’s downtown revitalization, which will include a new arena, write Amanda Moreno and Chris Hoffman of News 4 San Antonio. The civic project, known as Project Marvel, could cost up to $4 billion in total, and the Spurs’ commitment is expected to help alleviate some of the fiscal concerns. The Spurs’ investment includes $500MM for a new arena, $500MM in downtown development, and $60MM in community incentives, affordable tickets, and small business support. “As we have done since 1973, we are operating in good faith, grounded in deep love for our community and a sincere desire to help San Antonio thrive,” said Spurs chairman Peter J. Holt. The team is asking the city to contribute another $500MM to the arena costs. The Spurs are expected to stay in their current home, the Frost Bank Arena, until 2032, when the lease expires.

Mavs’ Kidd Talks No. 1 Pick, Flagg, Doncic Trade

May 17th, 2025 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show this week (YouTube link), Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd admitted he wasn’t watching Monday’s draft lottery live and said he thought there was a “1” missing when he received text messages telling him that Dallas would be drafting in the top four and then that the team had secured the No. 1 overall pick.

“I just felt we were going to stay around 11, if not go backwards, the way things were going for us this year,” Kidd said (hat tip to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal).

Asked by Patrick whether the Mavs plan to use the No. 1 overall pick to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the consensus top prospect in this year’s draft pool, Kidd was hesitant to outright confirm as much or to discuss Flagg directly, explaining that he’s trying “to make sure we don’t get in any trouble.”

When Patrick asked if the NBA would be fine with him commenting on “the kid from Duke,” the Mavs’ coach smiled and replied, “We’re excited about the kid at Duke.”

“I’m just the coach (but) yes, I would say we’re all concentrating on No. 1,” Kidd said. “The draft is deep, but the name you just brought up, I think we’re all focused on.”

If the lottery outcome had been different, Flagg could have ended up as the centerpiece for a rebuilding club like Utah or Washington. Instead, he’ll be joining a team with championship aspirations led by veterans like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. Kidd believes it’ll be an ideal situation for the No. 1 pick.

“He’ll be 18. He doesn’t turn 19 until December, and so just understanding he’s young, but he’s very talented, can play both ends,” Kidd said. “Being able to have older players—and when I say that, out of respect, they’re not dinosaurs—but when you look at the age of 30, Ky, AD, guys that are here, Klay could definitely help him with the process of going through a rookie season.

“… I think this is a great situation for him,” Kidd continued. “(Considering) the different guys that we have already on the team, the pressure of living up to No. 1 will be a lot easier with the talent around him. When you talk about the other clubs (he could’ve ended up with), he would have to produce right away at a high, high level. I think this is a great situation for him to grow his game, where the pressure isn’t as high. But we are playing for a championship.”

Kidd also spoke to Patrick about how he learned about – and reacted to – the Luka Doncic trade in February, explaining that when he got that call from general manager Nico Harrison at a hotel in Cleveland, he immediately began considering how the star guard’s departure and the additions of Davis and Max Christie would affect the Mavericks’ game plan.

According to Kidd, the day of the trade was the last time he spoke to Doncic. Having been unexpectedly traded himself as a player, the Mavs’ head coach knew some of what the 26-year-old was going through.

“I don’t think he was too happy. From the experience of being traded, maybe being surprised, upset, feelings are high,” Kidd said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). “But I loved the opportunity of coaching Luka. He’s an incredible person, and we all know his talent is one of the best in the world. … I’ve always said this publicly and privately: I wish Luka the best. He’s one of the best players in the world.”

Mavericks Notes: Play-In Race, Davis, Powell, Harrison, Cuban

April 7th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Back-to-back losses to the Clippers pushed the Mavericks down to 10th place in the Western Conference standings. They were blasted in the second of those games, 135-104, on Saturday night.

“The biggest message is we got to stay hungry,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said, per Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com (Substack link). “We haven’t achieved anything, even though we’ve been able, with all the injuries and restricted minutes, to keep ourselves in the play-in race. And so, we have to stay hungry.

“We had a big win at home against Atlanta. Unfortunately, we didn’t play up to par here against the Clippers. We have to go back home now, and we have games with the Lakers and Toronto. Hopefully, we can protect home court and we can get a little rhythm going into the play-in.”

Dallas will be fresh for the matchup with the Lakers — they don’t play until Wednesday night.

We have more on the Mavericks:

One of the positives out of Saturday’s game is that Anthony Davis produced 27 points and nine rebounds, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com notes. Davis sat out the first matchup with the Clippers on the front end of the back-to-back. “You look at AD at (power forward), you’d say that we’re going to have the advantage on most nights,” Kidd said. “And that’s going to create the double team or if they play straight up we can win that matchup. He’s always wanted to play the four. And the plan is to keep him at the four, but at the end of the day, you want your best five out there to win the game so sometimes that might mean he slides over to the five (center). He’s a special talent because he can guard one through five. So I believe that him at the four defensively and offensively gives us an advantage to win.”
With the team getting some key pieces back in recent weeks, Dwight Powell is eager to see how well former Lakers Davis and Max Christie blend with their new teammates, he told Afseth in an RG.org interview. “Competitors. They’re here for the right reasons, and they want to help us be successful,” Powell said. “That’s all you can ask for in this league. So I’m excited to get everybody kind of get the chemistry going, and I think we’ve seen glimpses and I think we’ll continue to see more. Just excited for everybody to continue to grow together.”
In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein describes how the Luka Doncic trade was crafted and examines its aftermath. Stein details how general manager Nico Harrison gained so much power in the front office and why Mark Cuban’s influence on personnel decisions waned.

P.J. Washington Calls For End To ‘Fire Nico’ Chants

March 17th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

P.J. Washington defended embattled general manager Nico Harrison during the Mavericks‘ Sunday afternoon game against Philadelphia, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “Fire Nico” chants have been a regular occurrence at American Airlines Center since Harrison made the controversial decision to trade franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Lakers last month.

When a fan yelled out that phrase as Washington stepped to the foul line in the third quarter, he sank the first free throw and shot back, “Shut yo ass up!” After the game, Washington explained why he believes why the fan base needs to move beyond its focus on the Doncic deal.

“At the end of the day, the trades happened,” he said. “We understand we have a new team now. All that ‘Fire Nico’ stuff, we’re sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play and we need the fans to support us no matter who’s on the floor. That’s just how I feel about it.”

The Mavericks’ season has been a disaster ever since the trade was announced in early February, with a string of injuries leaving them barely able to field a roster. They were at the NBA’s eight-man minimum for Sunday’s loss to the Sixers, who also had a makeshift lineup consisting largely of players on two-way contracts and 10-day deals because of their own injury situation.

The loss was the third in a row for Dallas and the eighth in its last nine games. Despite the long downturn, the Mavs are still clinging to the final play-in spot in the West, holding a game-and-a-half lead over Phoenix and a three-and-a-half-game advantage over Portland and San Antonio.

Max Christie, who was acquired from L.A. in the Doncic trade, declined to directly address Washington’s comments, Curtis adds, but he talked to reporters about how the players are able to tune out their surroundings and concentrate on the game.

“We’re professionals and our job is to come out here and perform regardless of the circumstances that we’re in,” Christie said. “We get paid a lot of money just to play basketball. For us, we have little things like that that may be distracting and whatnot. It shouldn’t affect us. We’re professionals. We’re the best at what we do in this sport. Distractions are going to be there and we have to be able to move forward and move past them and not let it affect us.”

Things may get worse for the Mavericks, who are rapidly running out of personnel because of their recent reliance on two-way players with limited eligibility remaining. Kessler Edwards, who started at center on Sunday, can only be on the active roster for two more games, while starting point guard Brandon Williams is down to five.

The team suffered a major blow on Friday when Dante Exum broke a bone in his left hand that may keep him out for the rest of the season. There’s still hope that injured big men Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively will be able to return at some point, but there’s no set timetable for any of them.

Hard cap restrictions will prevent the team from filling an opening on its 15-man roster until April 10. That’s the day after Doncic will return to Dallas with the Lakers in what’s sure to be an emotional reunion.

The only good news on Sunday was the return of Washington, who missed more than two weeks with a sprained ankle. He posted 29 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes and said he feels “back to normal,” Curtis states in a separate story.

“I’m just happy to be back,” Washington said. “I woke up early this morning just excited to play. Definitely happy that I’m back healthy.”

Mark Cuban On Luka Doncic Trade: “Get A Better Deal”

March 7th, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Rory Maher

In an exclusive interview with WFFA’s Jonah Javad on Thursday evening (YouTube link), former Mavericks majority owner — and current minority stakeholder — Mark Cuban broke his silence about the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

The full deal saw the Mavericks send Doncic, Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber to the Lakers, with the Mavericks acquiring Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Utah was also involved, receiving a couple of second-round picks (one from L.A., one from Dallas) for taking on the salary of Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was later waived (he is now on a two-way deal with Philadelphia).

Was Cuban upset about the trade?

“Yeah, of course. … If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. … I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected number ones and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”

Would he have made the trade?

“I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t even matter.”

Cuban confirmed he did not have advanced knowledge of the deal, which has been previously reported.

“I knew five minutes at the most before (it was reported). … From a basketball perspective, you know, I hear about it after the fact, I don’t hear about anything beforehand.”

Is it difficult for him to be out of the loop when he was used to being actively involved in front office decisions?

“Yeah, there are parts that aren’t fun, obviously. Especially this month, or last month. But, you know, they paid for that right.”

Does he regret selling his majority stake in the Mavs?

“Sometimes I get mad (and think) ‘I would have done this.’ But, not really. … I didn’t want my kids to end up in this exact position, at some level, if they made a mistake. Imagine if I didn’t [sell], and my kids had taken over and they made a mistake like this.”

On the team’s struggle to communicate with fans in the aftermath of the trade:

“I think the biggest challenge that the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who’s really outgoing to communicate. It’s not so much what you do, it’s how you communicate why you do what you do — and that’s their challenge without me in front.”

Has he been consulted by GM Nico Harrison or governor Patrick Dumont since the trade was completed?

“I have not talked to Nico about it. I said hi to Nico twice after the trade.”

The full video interview can be found here, while more transcript highlights can be found on WFFA’s website.

Jeanie Buss Explains Lakers’ Approach To Luka Doncic Trade

February 28th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was one of the few people with advance knowledge of the trade talks with Dallas involving Luka Doncic, but she wasn’t sure the deal would get done until the last minute, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.

Speaking at an event on Thursday to promote her new Netflix show, Buss told reporters that the front office proceeded cautiously throughout the process, making sure to prevent leaks that might have affected team chemistry if the deal had fallen through.

“I mean, not until (general manager Rob Pelinka) told me it was done and they had made the trade call,” she said. “Because these things fall apart all the time. It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team. If it had leaked out and the trade hadn’t happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it’s a huge distraction. And the trade deadline is part of the business. It increases the level of stress for everybody. And I’m really proud that it didn’t leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that still was surprising to all the parties involved. But that goes with this business.”

Buss compared the acquisition of Doncic with two significant deals from Lakers history, Price adds. She cited the 2008 trade with Memphis for Pau Gasol and the 2011 agreement with New Orleans for Chris Paul that was eventually overturned by then-commissioner David Stern.

As the Doncic trade edged closer to reality, Lakers officials were worried about any unexpected snags that might prevent it from being finalized.

“There’s always this concern there’s going to be some new ruling that, like, now what’s going to happen?,” Buss said. “But what I have complete confidence in Rob is that he knows how to walk a deal through step by step to make sure that everything is complete and buttoned up and that’s exactly what happened.”

Buss praised Pelinka and Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison for their discretion in keeping the deal quiet, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. From the time the first discussions were held on January 7, they were able to operate in near secrecy, even though Utah had to be brought in as a third team to take the salary of Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.

Buss also compared the trade to the type of deals her late father, Dr. Jerry Buss, used to make when he built the Lakers into one of the NBA’s premier franchises.

“He’d be very proud. When you get a player of that stature, you have to give up a lot. My dad was such a great poker player, and he said that he always wanted me to remember that poker was a game of patience,” she said. “That you had to wait for the right cards, but once you got the cards, you had to go from zero to 100 and play the cards and not be afraid to play them. So, it was difficult because we were not looking to trade Anthony Davis or Max Christie. But it was a deal that he would’ve made, and we had to go for it.”

Southwest Notes: Powell, Christie, Smith Jr., Bagley

February 25th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks won’t have Anthony Davis when they face the Lakers for the first time since the teams’ blockbuster deal that landed Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. They could get another big man back for the showdown. Dwight Powell, who has missed the last 16 games due to a hip injury, has been upgraded as questionable, Marc Stein tweets.

It’s expected that Powell will be active, Stein adds. Powell has appeared in 33 games off the bench this season, though he’s averaged just 7.6 minutes in those appearances.

The Lakers will honor Davis with a video tribute, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Another of the players the Mavericks acquired from the Lakers was guard Max Christie. He has given Dallas a boost since the deal, averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in eight games. Christie told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears he’ll looking forward to Tuesday’s game but harbors no ill will toward his former team. “I’m not even looking at this game as a ‘revenge game,’” Christie said. “I’m actually looking forward to it from a sense that I get to see old teammates, old colleagues, old coaches. I’m looking forward to just enjoying that game. I want to win, obviously. The Lakers are a playoff team. They’re really, really good. It’s a good test for us as a matchup, as a team as well. But I’m not going in there with any bad blood or any intention of trying to drop 40 on them. I’m just going in there to try to win the game, play my game and let the game come to me.”
Blending Jabari Smith Jr.‘s offensive skills with the current rotation will be a key to the Rockets’ postseason success, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. If Houston has any hope of making a deep run, Smith must become more of a focal offensive option, according to Iko. Smith has played two games since recovering from a fractured hand, an injury he suffered on New Year’s Day.
Big man Marvin Bagley III wound up with the Grizzlies in a three-team trade earlier this month. Bagley, the No. 2 pick of the 2018 draft, has only made one brief appearance with Memphis. Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal explores how Bagley might carve out a role with the Grizzlies, his fourth team since entering the league. He’ll be a free agent after the season.

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Kidd, Davis, Simmons

February 14th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Faced with a fan backlash following last week’s Luka Doncic trade and dealing with a series of injuries that have decimated their frontcourt, the Mavericks could have gone into a tailspin heading into the All-Star break.

Instead, Dallas has won four of its past five games, including a shorthanded home victory over Miami on Thursday that saw the club run out a starting five of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Max Christie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. All five players scored in double figures, as Exum led the way with 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

“No one is pouting. Everyone is playing,” head coach Jason Kidd said after Thursday’s win, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Big win before the break. Now we can rest, regroup and get ready for the second half.”

Kyrie Irving had to sit out Thursday’s game – the second of a back-to-back set – due to a right shoulder injury, but he has been playing through a back issue and is averaging a team-high 36.6 minutes per game on the season. His resiliency and leadership has trickled down to the rest of the roster, Clark writes.

“He sets a standard,” Edwards said. “If he sees any of us slacking, he holds us to that. He also has a great personality. It’s light in the locker room around him, so it’s great.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

The Mavericks and Kidd won’t be fined for the head coach’s decision to skip Monday’s post-game press conference, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who notes (via Twitter) that the league typically responds to first-time violations of that rule with a warning rather than handing out a fine.
The Mavericks haven’t issued a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ projected recovery timetable from an adductor strain since he was injured in his first game with his new team on Saturday. As Stein writes in a story for his Substack, the lack of a publicly shared timeline is thought to be by design, with the hope being that Davis can take a non-surgical treatment path to recovery. As he reported earlier this week, Stein says there’s optimism that surgery can be avoided, but cautions that it hasn’t been entirely ruled out at this point.
Within that same Substack story, Stein reports that the Mavericks would have had interest in entering the bidding for Ben Simmons on the buyout market, but their hard-cap restrictions prevented them from emerging as a serious suitor. The prorated veteran’s minimum deal that Simmons got from the Clippers carries a cap hit of approximately $756K, whereas Dallas is only operating about $171K below its first-apron hard cap.

Mavericks Governor Stands By Luka Doncic Trade

February 9th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks team governor Patrick Dumont is sympathetic toward angry fans, but passionate in his defense of the controversial Luka Doncic trade.

Speaking to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News in his first public comments since the deal was completed last Sunday, Dumont talked about the need to “make tough decisions and stand by them.” That’s what led the organization to part with the 25-year-old mega-star who may just be entering him prime after five years as a first-team All-NBA selection.

The reaction from Dallas fans has been intensely negative, capped by a “Rally for Luka” held outside American Airlines Center prior to Saturday afternoon’s game. Dumont said the backlash was expected, but he stands by his belief that the team has improved by adding Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers‘ 2029 first-round pick.

“Look, it’s been an emotional week for everyone. It really has. I clearly understand that, and I really appreciate that,” Dumont said. “I’m a big Luka fan. My family are big Luka fans. I have a really deep appreciation for what he brought to this team, what he brought to Dallas, and the excitement he brings. He’s an electrifying player. I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA.”

Dumont expressed confidence in general manager Nico Harrison, who put the deal together in virtual secrecy through a series of talks with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Dumont and L.A. owner Jeanie Buss were reportedly the only other people who were aware that negotiations were occurring.

At a press conference last Sunday, Harrison took ownership of the decision to trade Doncic, but Dumont said he signed off on the deal as well.

“I’ve said it all along: In Nico we trust,” Dumont said. “You have to respect the track record. You have to respect his intellect. You have to respect his relationships and his judgment and his point of view and the way he communicates. I respect that. Our whole family respects it.”

Harrison also talked about “culture” and the need to acquire players who reflect the organizational philosophy. Although Dumont didn’t directly address concerns about Doncic’s weight and conditioning, he implied that the Slovenian star was no longer a good fit.

“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” he said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks. That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”

Dumont denied that the decision to part with Doncic was motivated by finances. If he had stayed in Dallas, Doncic would have been eligible to receive a record-breaking $345MM extension this summer, which would have affected other roster decisions moving forward. Dumont also cited a motivation to keep improving after losing to the Celtics in five games in last year’s NBA Finals.

“You don’t know how I felt when we lost the Finals and I was standing there with confetti falling on my head in Boston,” he said. “I was pretty unhappy. I’ll never forget that.”

That Finals run came after Harrison retooled the roster at last year’s deadline, adding Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington in separate trades. The new combinations clicked, and Dallas became one of the best teams in the league over the second half of the season.

The organization remained aggressive during the summer, adding Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes while re-signing Spencer Dinwiddie. Injuries played a role — especially to Doncic, who was only available for 22 games — but there was disappointment with the 26-23 start when the Doncic deal was made.

Dumont said Harrison and the player personnel staff were comparing the Mavericks to their Western Conference rivals and the top teams in the East and weren’t satisfied with how they matched up.

“Not only do we have to fight a Western Conference, where a lot of teams got better through the trade deadline, we also, in order to get to our ultimate goal, have to survive the East,” Dumont said. “We looked at this season to see, ‘Did we get better since The Finals last year?’ And we’d play this season to see where we were. If you look at our record up until the trade deadline, we were not there.”

Dumont also addressed rumors that trading Doncic was the first step in a plan to eventually move the Mavericks out of Dallas. The Dumont and Adelson families issued a formal denial this week, and Dumont amplified that position.

“I’m not sure where this is coming from,” he said. “I appreciate people asking. Our family happens to live in Las Vegas, but we have investments all over the world. And the Dallas Mavericks is the team we bought. We had options to buy other teams in the past, but Dallas was the city that we wanted to be in, and that’s where it’s going to be.”

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