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Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41), holding the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy, and Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) with the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy pose on the podium after winning the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena Sunday, June 12, 2011 in Miami. Mavs won 105-95.<\/p>\n
Tom Fox – Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
The Cowboys<\/a> may be North Texas\u2019 most famous team, but the Dallas Mavericks<\/a> have been the ones making the biggest headlines in recent years.<\/p>\n Both on and off the court, the Mavs have had a rollercoaster few seasons with an NBA Finals appearance<\/a>, a generational No. 1 overall draft selection<\/a> and one of the most controversial trades<\/a> in league history.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you need to know about the Mavericks:<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n ORG XMIT: S0353411719_STAFF The Dallas Mavericks team photo from 1980-81. Top row, from left: General Manager Norm Sonju, head coach Dick Motta, trainer Doug Atkinson, Oliver Mack, Jim Spanarkel, Marty Byrnes, Brad Davis, Chad Kinch, equipment manager Keith Grant, assistant coach Bob Weiss. Sitting, from left: Stan Pietkiewicz, Tom LaGarde, Abdul Jeelani, Bill Robinzine, Scott Lloyd, Clarence Kea. 08222010timeline 04192011xSPORTS<\/p>\n Courtesy\/Digital File<\/p>\n Franchise history<\/p>\n The Dallas Mavericks played their inaugural season as an expansion franchise in 1980 and slumped to a 15-67 record. The 1981 NBA draft proved pivotal for the Mavs as they selected franchise cornerstones Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman. By 1984, the franchise made its first playoff appearance and the first of five consecutive postseasons. This run peaked in 1988 by reaching\u00a0the Western Conference Finals, where they lost a seven-game series to the Lakers.<\/p>\n The franchise made one more playoff appearance in 1990 but soon entered a prolonged malaise that lasted most of the decade. The team hit its nadir between 1992 and 1994, when it won just 24 games across two seasons. The team drafted Hall of Fame point guard Jason\u00a0Kidd in 1994. He was joined by former first-round picks Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson to form the short-lived \u201cThree Js\u201d partnership. While the trio initially led the Mavs to a big improvement in the 1994-95 season, the situation deteriorated in the following years.<\/p>\n The team also underwent an ownership change in 1996 when Ross Perot Jr. purchased the team from original owner Don Carter for $125 million. Months later, after a poor start to the 1996-97 season, the Mavericks pulled the plug on the Kidd, Mashburne and Jackson trio, trading all three players\u00a0midseason.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Mavericks head coach Don Nelson, center, presents first-round draft choice Dirk Nowitzki, left, and newly acquired guard Steve Nash with jerseys at press conference in Dallas on June 29, 1998.<\/p>\n NGUYEN, Huy – 117781<\/p>\n The night of the 1998 NBA draft proved a major turning point for the franchise. Draft day trades landed the team two Hall of Famers in Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. That duo joined a team led by Michael Finley, who had arrived in Dallas as part of the Kidd trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n The turn of the century brought largely improved fortunes for the franchise. It began with Mark Cuban purchasing a majority stake in the team in 2000. The following year, the team returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1990 with Nowitzki, Finley and Nash emerging as major contributors.<\/p>\n Related: See our full ranking of the top 45 Dallas Mavericks in franchise history<\/a><\/p>\n The team moved from its longtime home at Reunion Arena to the American Airlines Center in Victory Park for the 2001-02 season, and continued building on the success of the previous year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Mavericks made their first NBA Finals in team history in 2006, but fell in six games to the Miami Heat. The following year, Nowitzki had a career year and lead the Mavs to a league-leading 67 wins and the best regular season in franchise history. He won the regular season MVP that year, but Dallas disappointed in the postseason, losing in the first round to the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n FILE – In this May 25, 2011, file photo, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41), of Germany, holds up his arms as fans cheer during the final seconds of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Dallas. Now in his 20th season, Nowitzki is comfortable with the idea that he led the Mavericks to their first championship and can try to help a younger core build toward making Dallas a title contender again. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay, File)<\/p>\n Eric Gay\/AP<\/p>\n The Mavericks\u2019 major breakthrough finally came in 2011, when a historic playoff run led to the team\u2019s first NBA title over the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. Nowitzki cemented his Hall of Fame legacy by winning the Finals MVP.<\/p>\n Following the title run, the Mavs continued to put together winning seasons and made the playoffs four of the next five seasons, but lost in the first round each time.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2018-19 season was a passing-of-the-torch year for Dallas. The team landed talented Slovenian guard Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA draft. He took the league by storm, winning Rookie of the Year while Nowitzki played the final season of his Hall of Fame career.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Doncic quickly emerged as a superstar and finished top 10 in MVP voting five straight years after his rookie season. The 2024 season culminated in the franchise\u2019s first NBA Finals run since the 2011 title. However, the team lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a Boston Celtics 3-pointer during the first half in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday, June 17, 2024, in Boston.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n It turned out to be Doncic\u2019s final full season in North Texas. The superstar guard was sent to the Lakers in 2025 in one of the most shocking trades in sports history. The deal brought 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to Dallas but a raft of injuries, including an ACL tear to star guard Kyrie Irving, derailed the team\u2019s season and they missed the playoffs.<\/p>\n That turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the team won the NBA draft lottery and earned the right to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft. The team\u00a0selected Cooper Flagg.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the lottery fortune, the ripple effects of the Doncic trade continued into the 2025-26 season. General manager Nico Harrison, the architect of the Doncic trade, was fired midseason and Davis, the big return from the deal, was traded away too. Jason Kidd, then the team\u2019s head coach, also parted ways with the team following the season. Despite all the turbulence, Flagg put together a historic rookie season<\/a>, winning the Rookie of the Year Award.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) goes up for a dunk past Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at American Airlines Center on Friday, April 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Key Mavericks players<\/p>\n Here are some key players to know on the 2026 team:<\/p>\n Cooper Flagg: 2025-26 Rookie of the Year. He is widely considered the future of the franchise.<\/p>\n Kyrie Irving: Nine-time All-Star, 2016 NBA Champion, 2011-12 Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Klay Thompson: Five-time All-Star, four-time NBA Champion. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in\u00a0NBA history, but now nearing the end of his career.<\/p>\n The 2026 No. 9 overall pick: This player to be determined will likely be a longtime running mate for Flagg as the Mavericks look to rebuild.<\/p>\n New Dallas Mavericks team president Masai Ujiri (right) addressed an introductory news conference with team governor Patrick Dumont on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Notable personnel<\/p>\n Majority owners:\u00a0Adelson and Dumont families An exterior view of the American Airlines Center before Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Dallas, June 14, 2024.<\/p>\n Tom Fox\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Arena<\/p>\n The Mavericks have played their home games at the American Airlines Center (AAC) in Victory Park since 2001. That might be changing in a few years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Team governor: Patrick Dumont
Minority owner: Mark Cuban
Team president: Masai Ujiri
General manager: Mike Schmitz
Head coach: The team has not yet announced who will replace Jason Kidd.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n