Mavericks CEO Rick Welts on Tuesday tried to convince fans not to lose hope in the franchise.
Welts and the rest of the Mavs’ current front office are well aware of the fan base’s frustration over the Luka Doncic trade. Many of the team’s supporters have called for general manager Nico Harrison to be fired, while others have outright given up on the team.
On Tuesday, Welts appeared on the Mavericks’ broadcast during the team’s interconference matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. During his segment, Wells assured fans that the team is headed in the right direction.
“In time, wins and losses will tell whether the deal was a good deal or a bad deal,” said Welts. “I just am going to promise to our fans right now. Whatever trust we have lost, or whatever concerns they have, we’re going to earn it back. Because we’re going to do this the right way, and we’re going to win championships.”
It’s not hard to imagine Mavericks fans scratching their heads over Welts’ promise, given that Doncic had led the team to the NBA Finals a season ago. Despite several reported issues the team had with Doncic, trading him away more than likely diminishes their chances of contending, both this season and those to come.
Tuesday’s game wasn’t a great time to make such a promise. The Mavericks lost to the Knicks 128-113 in a game they trailed by as many as 26 points. The loss was their 10th over the team’s last 13 games.
