When Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley were promoted to co-interim general managers of the Dallas Mavericks in November, Riccardi’s mom found a photo she had tucked away in a box.
A baby-faced Riccardi, wearing a white snapback hat backwards, posed with Finley, sporting a blue Jordan Brand bucket hat, during a 1999 autograph signing at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.
“I have since shown him that picture and he laughs, talking about how much older we both have gotten,” Riccardi told The Dallas Morning News. “I think he looks the same. I obviously look a lot older, but it was a special moment.”
Matt Riccardi pictured with Michael Finley during a 1999 autograph session at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. The two would go on to become co-interim GMs of the Dallas Mavericks together.
Courtesy Claudia Smith
Mavericks
Riccardi has a full beard now. Finley has the same goatee. Both men are a little grayer, a sign of the time passed. They’ve traded the hats for their gameday attire of tailored blazers and slacks, fitting for the job Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont tasked them with after firing Nico Harrison, less than a year after making one massive trade and hitting on a 1.8% chance to win the NBA draft lottery, which changed the trajectory of the franchise.
Though it’s not exactly how he envisioned running a front office, the circumstances are full circle for the 39-year-old Riccardi, once a Mavericks-obsessed kid in Plano and an unpaid intern with the Brooklyn Nets, who, with Finley, is now leading the team through the biggest NBA trade deadline of his career.
“I happened to be in Brooklyn with him,” said coach Jason Kidd, who coached the Nets during the 2013-14 season and whom Riccardi watched while growing up. “I think he’s prepared for this situation.”
Matt Riccardi, Dallas Mavericks co-interim general manager (left), speaks to Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory before a game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Dallas.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Moving on up
Riccardi follows the same pregame routine no matter if he’s in American Airlines Center or on the road.
He’ll arrive at the arena three hours before tip-off, coffee in hand, making rounds across the 94-foot court to speak to as many people as possible. This habit, which is typical of most NBA executives, scouts and agents, began as a child, when Riccardi begged his dad to take him to games early to watch Finley and Kidd go through their pregame warmups.
“I still love being there for warmups,” Riccardi said. “It’s something about being in the arena before it all gets started.”
People familiar with Riccardi’s leadership style describe him as direct, but empathetic. Pragmatic. He cares about the greater good of the organization over individual success. A people person who can effectively communicate.
“Matt is a talker,” Finley told The News. “He loves to network, you know? He’s never met a stranger. That’s a compliment to him and the way he carries himself. He enjoys walking around and shaking people’s hands and just making people feel comfortable.”
Two months after assuming the role when Harrison was fired, Riccardi said he hasn’t had the chance to fully process his new position because he’s focused on the task at hand. The same three questions run through his mind on a daily basis: “How do I put this organization in the best place moving forward? How do I make sure everyone feels appreciated on the staff? How do I make sure the players are getting everything they need?”
Plano’s Matt Riccardi (left) and Brandon Ware (right) try to gain possession of the ball from teammate Michael Murphy during practice at Plano Senior High School on Tuesday, November 11, 2003.
COURTNEY PERRY / File 2003
If trying to assist the needs of those around him sounds similar to being a point guard, it’s probably because the 5-8 Riccardi played the position for four years at Plano Senior High School, graduating in 2004, and five at the University of Texas at Tyler.
After a year in corporate finance, the first step of Riccardi’s climb up the NBA’s executive ladder began with an internship in Fall 2009 that required him to drive nearly 23 hours from Plano to East Rutherford, N.J.
It was the easiest “yes” of his career after Riccardi was denied 89 times by NBA teams for three years straight, he told The News in 2022, before former Nets executive Bobby Marks offered him the unpaid role.
The big move coincided with three consecutive seasons of losing for the then-New Jersey Nets, but it was valuable on-the-job training for Riccardi, who learned the ropes under Marks and current general manager Sean Marks [no relation]. Once his internship ended, he officially joined the organization in 2010 as a basketball operations assistant.
Over 13 years, Riccardi gained high-level experience in a variety of scouting and management responsibilities for the Nets, who, like the Mavericks, underwent significant changes. Brooklyn relocated from New Jersey and had three ownership changes, four general managers and 11 head coaches (six full-time and five interim), which is how Riccardi crossed paths with Kidd and Andrew Baker, now the Mavericks’ vice president of basketball strategy and analytics.
Riccardi helped persuade the front office to sign several players, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Yogi Ferrell and Theo Pinson, all of whom played in Dallas as well. Riccardi earned the nickname, “Il Gufo,” – The Owl – from his Italian friends during his scouting days. He rose to director of scouting before ending his tenure as general manager of the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.
“The special part for me is that I got to grow up and do so many different roles within the front office that I got to a point where I understand and have empathy for everyone that’s going through it,” Riccardi said. “Those times were special. I really appreciate them. I got to learn from some great people. They formed me into the type of leader that I am now, to get to take bits and pieces with me now here.”
Dallas Mavericks co-interim general managers Matt Riccardi (left) and Michael Finley at a game vs. the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 8, 2023.
Courtesy Dallas Mavericks
A new opportunity through unexpected change
When the Mavericks had an opening in 2022, Riccardi took the chance to return to North Texas as a senior director of pro personnel of his hometown team. Harrison promoted him to assistant GM after his first season.
Finley, 52, has been a fixture in the Mavericks’ front office for the last 12 seasons, including four years as assistant GM/vice president of basketball operations.
What is the dynamic between Riccardi and Finley, who’ve become peers over the last four seasons, especially now that they’re sharing a job typically held by one person?
“Our jobs haven’t changed,” Finley told The News. “We’re still doing what we were doing under our old boss. The vision hasn’t changed. We’re still trying to keep Dallas as one of the best franchises in the NBA. We’re just putting our own personality on it, so to speak.”
They offer the best of both worlds. Finley has 15 years of experience as a player to help him relate to them, as well as the institutional knowledge from his 12 years in the front office during the Donnie Nelson and Harrison eras.
Then senior director of player personnel Matt Riccardi (left) talks with Mavericks assistant general manager Michael Finley and salary cap director Andrew Baker during the team’s practice Oct. 3, 2022.
Photo courtesy of Dallas Mavericks
Riccardi holds the reputation of being a smart talent evaluator with an unparalleled work ethic. He’s also taken a more front-facing role over the last year, including representing the franchise in the drawing room at the NBA draft lottery.
Both share the ability to scout talent, one of the most important skills for a GM.
Dumont is not expected to ramp up his search for a permanent replacement for Harrison until the offseason. In theory, Riccardi and Finley are competing for the same position, but their rapport makes it clear it hasn’t changed how they work together.
“I think me and Fin have such a good relationship over my three-and-a-half years that it’s seamless for us,” Riccardi said. “There are things that he is amazing at and way better at than me and he takes those areas. We try to make sure that collectively, our skills maximize who we are as a group.
“I joke that we’re twins.” he continued. “We understand each other’s thinking. Even at times when we do have good and honest discussion, we come to a resolution respectfully together and then move forward as a joint decision. That part’s been easy and refreshing.”
While most midseason deals are orchestrated by one person – Harrison’s trade of six-time All-Star guard Luka Doncic for 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis last year, for example – this year’s trade deadline will be a collaborative effort between Riccardi and Finley, with guidance from Dumont and Kidd, along with aid from Baker and Makhtar Ndiaye, the team’s director of pro personnel and international scouting.
“We’re all in constant communication to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can to put the team in the best position to be successful,” Finley told The News. “If the communication we’re having is consistent, when we talk to other teams and agents, then I think that puts us in a good position to make a deal if you have to.”
Regardless of what Riccardi and Finley decide over the next two weeks, the franchise’s priority has shifted to the development of Cooper Flagg, the versatile two-way forward who became the Mavericks’ second No. 1 pick in team history.
Family first
The hardest part of the job, Riccardi said, is juggling his responsibilities as a front office executive with family duties. He and his wife have two children, and returning to North Texas meant he could spend more time with his parents, sister, brother-in-law and friends, including his former Plano teammates.
“For us to do these amazing jobs, our families are the ones that sacrifice,” he said. “Being conscientious of that, family is most important.”
When Riccardi entered the NBA draft lottery drawing room last May, his phone was confiscated, and the only items he could bring were a pen and pad, but he brought a small reminder of his family: a good luck charm from his 1-year-old son, Lio. The blue and yellow sticker of an owl unknowingly provided a good omen for “Il Gufo.”
Riccardi kept his hand on the owl during the drawing, and within 15 minutes, the Mavericks landed the No. 1 pick and the right to draft Flagg.
“It was pretty special, a full realization that he could be there and be part of us getting the No. 1 pick,” he said of his son. “As superstitious as that sounds, it was pretty special.”
Earlier this season, Riccardi brought his son to a game at AAC and carried him throughout his usual stroll around the arena, continuing the tradition he started as a teenager. It’s one of his favorite parts about his job. He couldn’t imagine it then, but now it’s reality.
“I can’t envision myself doing anything else,” he said.
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