The Dallas Mavericks are making a significant change to their front office, parting ways with longtime president and general manager Donnie Nelson.
In a statement, the Mavericks announced that the decision for Nelson to leave Dallas was a mutual one.
The Dallas Mavericks and Donnie Nelson have mutually agreed to part ways. pic.twitter.com/YRg8pF15oG
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) June 16, 2021
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Nelson had lost power internally since the team hired former professional gambler Haralabos Voulgaris as Director of Quantitative Research and Development in 2018. This had been reported elsewhere in the days prior to Nelson’s departure, though owner Mark Cuban had adamantly denied the reports.
Source confirms that longtime president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson is parting ways with the Mavs, as reported by The Athletic.
Nelson had lost power since the hiring of Bob Voulgaris, creating internal tension.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 16, 2021
The son of Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson, Donnie Nelson has been with the Mavericks since 1998. He helped engineer the moves that landed Dallas both Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, and he is credited with constructing Dallas’ 2011 championship team.
It’s unclear if Nelson plans to return to management, though the 58-year-old would likely attract plenty of interest from within the NBA if he does.
