After the exits of GM Donnie Nelson and coach Rick Carlisle earlier this offseason, the Dallas Mavericks are seeing another high-profile departure.
Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported Thursday that the Mavs have parted ways with controversial executive Haralabos “Bob” Voulgaris. The move was not a firing however, Townsend adds. Voulgaris’ contract simply expired and was not renewed by new GM Nico Harrison.
Voulgaris said on Twitter that he actually asked to be let out of his contract and was denied. He then waited for it to expire.
Grateful for the experience, learned a lot, and got the chance to work with some great people.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) September 23, 2021
The 46-year-old Voulgaris, a former sports gambler, was hired in 2018 as the Mavs’ director of quantitative research and development. He quickly rose through the ranks of the organization and was even described as the second-most powerful man on the team behind owner Mark Cuban.
Voulgaris was extremely unpopular with Mavs franchise player Luka Doncic though. The two reportedly had multiple heated incidents last year. Doncic had even taunted team personnel over Voulgaris’ influence, which included a say in lineup decisions and rotations. The Mavs are now looking for a fresh start under the team of Harrison and new coach Jason Kidd, and Voulgaris will not be a part of it.
