Mavs CEO expands on new arena plans, reaffirms commitment to keeping team in Dallas

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks' CEO expanded on the team's search for a new arena location in a meeting with Dallas business leaders on Thursday.

"We will be in Dallas"

What they're saying:

At a North Dallas Chamber of Commerce meeting, Mavs CEO Rick Welts reaffirmed the team's commitment to keeping their new arena in Dallas city limits.

"We have made that commitment that we will be in Dallas," Welts said. "Unthinkable that there isn't an opportunity for us to be there."

The team is looking for a 50-acre site that could house the new arena, the team's corporate headquarters, a practice facility, an entertainment district with restaurants and hotels, and an additional performance venue that can be programmed for over 100 days a year.

Welts continued by saying the Mavericks no longer want to share an arena with the Dallas Stars because of a need for better sight lines for their basketball court, something a hockey rink does not allow for.

Expanded search

Welts also referenced the March 4 Dallas City Council meeting where city leaders voted to explore options for leaving Dallas City Hall. He said he watched around half of the 16-hour meeting, and that the team plans on submitting a proposal to the city for redeveloping the site.

"We love the idea of a downtown site."

He also expanded on his recent comments about having conversations with the City of Dallas for over a year about using the Dallas City Hall site for the new arena, reiterating that Kim Tolbert, the Dallas City Manager, was the one who approached the team.

"I can't say enough about how great the city has been in dealing with us," Welts said. "They're the ones who brought forth many, many sites."

However, he also said the sites referenced in a recent survey sent out by the team are not the only locations being considered to build their new arena on.

"These two sites are not the only places this could be built," Welts continued. "We continue to discuss other sites."

Welts did not elaborate on any other potential locations during the meeting.

The backstory:

Welts told an audience last month that he and the Dallas City Manager had conversations regarding the team using the current City Hall site "over a year ago."

"Listen over a year ago, City Manager Tolbert came to us and said, ‘Look, I gotta move out of City Hall, I can’t afford to operate what we do in that building, going forward for the taxpayers," Welts said.

Dig deeper:

An invite-only survey was sent to members of Club Maverick this week, asking for opinions on potential new arena locations in Downtown Dallas, North Dallas and a regional suburban location.

The downtown location seems to reference the Dallas City Hall site, while the North Dallas location points to where Valley View Mall once stood at I-635 and Preston Road in Far North Dallas.

The survey also included images of Chase Center in San Francisco, an arena Welts oversaw the construction of during his time as COO of the Golden State Warriors.

What's next:

The Mavericks' lease with their current arena, the American Airlines Center, expires in 2031. Welts says the team wants to have their new arena's location selected by July.

"We are on the clock, and whether or not that's gonna come to fruition is really gonna be where we can get with the city between now and July, and try to figure out if there's a path forward there."

The team's 2025-26 season ends on April 12 against the Chicago Bulls in Dallas. They were eliminated from playoff contention on March 23 after an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.

As for Dallas City Hall, City Manager Tolbert will brief city council members in late May on the site's future.

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