The Mavericks are making a change at the top of their business operation, with the succession plan already in place.
Rick Welts will retire at the end of the year, and team president Ethan Casson will succeed him as CEO and alternate governor, the Mavericks announced Wednesday.
Welts, 73, came out of retirement in 2024 to help lead the organization. Now the Hall of Fame executive is preparing to hand things over.
“I’m so excited to be talking about this,” Welts told Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “We’re making a pivot. It’s transition time. And it’s about as well-planned and orchestrated, I think, as has ever been done by an NBA organization.”
Casson joined Dallas in 2025 with the expectation that he would eventually replace Welts. He previously spent nine seasons overseeing the business operations of the Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx and served as chief operating officer of the NFL’s 49ers.
His stadium-development experience also fits a franchise working through its long-term arena plans.
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Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont credited Welts with strengthening the executive team and advancing the organization’s long-term vision.
“Just as importantly, Rick and Ethan have built a strong partnership that has created a natural and seamless path forward,” Dumont said.
Welts’ résumé includes senior leadership positions with the NBA, Suns and Warriors. His departure closes another chapter in a lengthy basketball career, while Dallas turns to the executive it brought in to carry the work forward.
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