The Dallas Mavericks and Donnie Nelson have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced on Wednesday, with team owner Mark Cuban saying, “Donnie will always be part of the Mavs family.”
Nelson, who owns 36 years of NBA experience, came to Dallas on Jan. 2, 1998 and recently completed his 24th season with the franchise.
“I just want to thank Donnie for his 24 years of service to this organization,” said Cuban. “Donnie has been instrumental to our success and helped bring a championship to Dallas. His hard work, creativity and vision made him a pioneer. Donnie will always be a part of the Mavs family and I wish him all the best.”
During his tenure, the Mavericks have made the playoffs in 17 of the last 21 seasons, been to the Western Conference Finals three times, advanced to the NBA Finals twice, captured three division titles (2007, 2010, 2021) and won their first World Championship in 2011.
Since Nelson joined the franchise the Mavericks have won 58.0% (1,087 of 1,873) of their games with three 60+ win seasons, including a franchise-record 67-win season in 2007, which tied for the sixth-best record in NBA history.
Nelson is recognized as an industry leader in the advancement of scouting on an international level, work that has helped the Mavs acquire talents like Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic.
The Mavs were downed in the first round of the NBA playoffs this year and it has now been a decade since Dallas won a postseason series. The Mavs also find themselves in a reported controversy involving Doncic and Bob Voulgaris, a member of the front office that Nelson oversaw. A source indicates that this change is at least in part tied to that conflict.
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