The Dallas Mavericks have ben at the center of plenty of headlines this season as injuries and personnel changes have all but doomed their chances at making the playoffs. Even if Dallas is able to sneak into the play-in tournament, its chances of making a ton of noise feel low in the short-term.
Nico Harrison and the rest of the Mavericks' front office are surely planning on still making some noise in the long-term with the core of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II and the rest of the team.
As it turns out, this may be the last Mavericks core that gets to play at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. CEO Rick Welts wants the team to be in a new arena by the 2031-32 season, according to Nick Angstadt of Locked On Mavs.
“We need to be in a new arena for the 2031-32 season,” Welts said, per Angstadt. “We're on the clock.”
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The American Airlines Center opened in 2001, and the Mavericks have played there ever since. However, the team's lease on the property runs out in 2031 and it looks like Welts wants the organization to move somewhere else locally. The AAC is also the home to the Dallas Stars of the NHL.
The Mavericks have played in the NBA Finals three times during their time at the American Airlines Center. The AAC hosted the 2006 and 2011 series that the Mavericks split against the Miami Heat and also was one of the venues for the 2024 championship series between Dallas and the Boston Celtics.
In the short term, the Mavericks are still recovering from the Luka Doncic trade and everything that has come since. Injuries have tanked the Mavericks' season since the stunning decision to trade away their franchise star, including a devastating torn ACL for Irving.
Thankfully, Davis recently returned from a tricky adductor injury and Dallas is hoping that having him back in the lineup can help it get into the play-in.