The newly renovated gym overlooks practice courts at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Mavericks spent most of the summer using their American Airlines Center basement court for offseason training while their Design District practice facility underwent renovations.
After five months and over 10,000 labor hours, the team’s multimillion-dollar construction project has officially concluded.
The team officially reopened their practice facility on Monday and unveiled several upgraded areas that include the practice gymnasium, wellness areas, players’ lounge and their new performance kitchen.
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The Mavericks are scheduled for an official return to practice once training camp begins Saturday morning, followed by five more practices before they depart for Macao to participate in the 2026 NBA China Games.
The new upgrades will have a short shelf life since the Mavericks plan to build a new arena in five years, one that will include an upgraded corporate headquarters and practice facility. However, the overhaul is essential to their goal of becoming a great basketball organization, according to Mavericks CEO Rick Welts.
“It’s where our players and staff spend so much of their time, and it should give them everything they need to prepare, recover and perform at their best,” Welts said in a statement. “[Mavericks governor] Patrick Dumont and our ownership group understand that. This investment reflects their commitment to our people, to competing for championships and to creating a world-class Mavericks organization.”
Gymnasium windows
The Dallas Mavericks practice courts now feature windows which let in natural lighting at their practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
Upon entering the revamped gymnasium, Welts posed a question to the group of reporters to start Monday’s media tour.
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“What’s the biggest difference?” Welts asked.
The answer was clear. A wall that once housed a scoreboard now featured two 18-foot-by-5 foot windows, adding natural light to the gymnasium for the first time. 18,000 pounds of structural steel was also added to reinforce the affected wall panels. The windows are fully-functional with shades that can be raised or lowered with the flip of a switch, as demonstrated by Mavericks vice president and chief of staff, Khalia Collier.
“Natural light has a lot of positive influences,” said Collier, who oversaw the 7,500-square-foot renovation project. She also cited cognitive function and mood enhancement as benefits from the newfound sunlight.
“It also just makes us feel like we’re not in a dungeon. You’re here for 12, 14, 16 hours out of the day so it’s nice to actually know when the sun is coming up and the sun is coming down.”
Dusty May’s new office already featured a window, dating back to renovations from 2022, but the Mavericks added another pane of glass that connects to the office of associate head coach Willie Green, so he can have visual access to the court from the comfort of his own desk.
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In-house sauna
Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts peers into a sauna made with eucalyptus hardwood paneled walls during a media tour of the practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
The Mavericks also transformed what was once a custodial space into a custom infrared sauna adjacent to the locker room, as part of the wellness upgrades recommended by veteran guard Kyrie Irving. The sauna has eucalyptus hardwood-paneled walls, capable of reaching temperatures of up to 170 degrees.
The sauna has a height limit of 8 feet, which allows Dallas’ bevy of centers to enter the steam room with ease. Collier hinted that Dereck Lively II, who is 7-1 and Cooper Flagg, who was listed at 6-9 during his rookie season, “grew a little more.”
Players lounge
A seating area in the newly renovated and expanded players’ lounge at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
After a trot back through the gymnasium, Collier led reporters through a long hallway past the team barbershop to the remodeled players’ lounge, which was expanded by 50%. The modernized living area features a massive couch scaled to accommodate the height of NBA players.
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Players and their families will have access to the lounge for leisure and hosting events, with amenities such as a large wooden table for card games and two flatscreen televisions suited for casual entertainment.
The room has player-driven design elements that include a vinyl-record wall upon entry, with classic and modern albums that were handpicked by each member of the team. Mavericks player relations director Brandon Barkley revealed which albums belonged to whom. Flagg selected Don Toliver’s latest album, Octane, while Irving’s two selections featured Nas’ It Was Written and Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap. J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive was picked by Max Christie, while Naji Marshall chose Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me.
Dallas Mavericks Khalia Collier, basketball operations VP and chief of staff, shows off the new vinyl-record wall during a media tour of the practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Players chose vinyl’s for the wall.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
A player-edition sneaker case with various ANTA and New Balance models worn by Irving and Flagg sits above the refrigerator, with large cabinets on both sides of the wall.
Performance kitchen & dining room
Chef John Bauer, culinary director at 50 Eggs, explains the restaurant style food being prepared in the Champions Performance Kitchen at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
The final stop on the tour was a trip to the team’s redesigned kitchen and dining space, where Chef John Bauer, culinary director at 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, waited to explain the team’s new chef-driven dining program.
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The new culinary experience includes full in-house scratch production, from breads, pastries, sauces and condiments to fresh-pressed juices and house-ground burger blends. The players will benefit from personalized meals and smoothies developed in collaboration with Mavericks strength coaches and the nutrition staff to supper each player’s performance needs.
Mavericks players, coaches and staff will have access to the revamped dining room that increased by 300%. It features a newly integrated 100-square-foot skylight that was cut into the existing ceiling, an 11-foot Ficus tree, a 140-square-foot preserved-moss mural, custom-made banquette seating and 70 pieces of restaurant-caliber food-service equipment.
A new skylight lets natural light into the Champions Performance Kitchen at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
Media gets a glimpse inside the newly renovated barbershop at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Mavericks Khalia Collier, basketball operations VP and chief of staff, uses a switch to raise and lower shades over windows above the team’s practice courts during a media tour of the practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
A newly renovated hallway leads from courts to the players’ lounge at the Dallas Mavericks practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Mavericks practice courts now feature windows which let in natural lighting at their practice facility in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News