Jan 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the Dallas Mavericks logo during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks hire former 49ers, Timberwolves executive

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 12:03 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are preparing for a new arena by the start of the 2030s, so it's a time of major change for the organization. They brought in Rick Welts last season, an executive with a history in helping plan an arena for the Golden State Warriors, to go with years of marketing with the NBA, to be the team's CEO as they develop the arena plans.

Welts has faced many more challenges than he expected, mostly due to the disastrous Luka Doncic trade, which angered the fan base and led to many people canceling season tickets and sponsors rescinding deals. The Cooper Flagg lottery luck improved the ticket and sponsorship requests, but it's been a rocky seven months for Welts.

To help with that, the Dallas Mavericks have hired Ethan Casson as team president. Casson has been the CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, and Iowa Wolves (G-League). Before that, Casson was the Chief Operating Officer for the San Francisco 49ers for six years during the time they moved from Candlestick Park to Levi's Stadium.

"The Mavericks are committed to being an elite professional sports franchise, and fundamental to that goal is adding top-tier executives like Ethan Casson to our senior management team," Mavericks governor Dumont said in a release.

Casson will report directly to CEO Rick Welts.

"He will be my partner in charting the team into the future and will allow me to devote more time to our strategic priorities, including the building of our new arena and entertainment district in Dallas, and our transition from a basketball organization to a sports and entertainment company operating our own venue," Welts said in a release.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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