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[Saba Sports News] As they gear up to defend their Western Conference title, the Dallas Mavericks are making changes at the top of their management structure.
On Wednesday, the Mavericks announced the hiring of veteran NBA executive Rick Welts as their new CEO. Welts will succeed current CEO Cynt Marshall, who is set to retire at the end of December.
Welts, 71, brings a wealth of experience and a decorated resume to the role. A five-time NBA champion, he earned his first title in 1979 as the director of public relations for the Seattle SuperSonics and added four more during his tenure as president and COO of the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022).
Beyond his team roles, Welts has served in the NBA league office as an executive vice president, chief marketing officer, and president of NBA Properties. He also led the Phoenix Suns as team president before joining the Warriors. In 2011, Welts made history as the first senior executive in major professional sports to openly come out as gay.
Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reports that Welts was hand-picked by Patrick Dumont, who succeeded Mark Cuban as the Mavericks’ governor in 2023. Welts will also act as Dumont’s alternate at NBA Board of Governors meetings.
Dumont, the son-in-law of Mavericks majority owner Miriam Adelson, has been shaping the franchise’s leadership since taking over.
Currently sitting at 17-9 and ranked No. 4 in the Western Conference, the Mavericks are continuing to build on their success from a 2024 NBA Finals appearance. With his 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame induction as an executive underscoring his legacy, Welts will now play a key role in shaping the Mavericks’ strategy heading into a critical trade deadline where Dallas could pursue bold roster moves.