The Mavericks and city officials have stated their desire to keep the NBA franchise in Dallas \u2014 \u201cwhere they belong,\u201d as City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert told The Dallas Morning News last month<\/a>. But the commitment to the Stars, by either the Mavericks or the city, hasn\u2019t been publicly conveyed in the same manner.<\/p>\n \u201cBusiness is business. We probably knew that the end was coming long before now,\u201d Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts told The News in a recent interview. \u201cThe Mavericks have said what they\u2019ve said, and we have to understand where are they going \u2014 and when.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports Roundup<\/p>\n The Mavericks have been more public with their endeavors, starting with comments by Mark Cuban in 2022 stating he wanted his team to one day play in the middle of a resort with a casino<\/a>. More recently, CEO Rick Welts stated his goal is identifying and securing a 30- to 50-acre site for an arena and \u201cfull-blown entertainment district\u201d within 12 months<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Stars, on the other hand, have watched intently as the Mavericks proceed without them, all while operating behind the scenes for about a year and strategizing their next steps without their NBA partner.<\/p>\n Can they afford to remain as a single tenant at American Airlines Center when the lease with the city is up in 2031? Or is there another viable option, in Dallas or elsewhere?<\/p>\n The ongoing saga between two of the city\u2019s premier sports teams is not unique to Dallas. Partnerships between NBA and NHL franchises across the country are fading, with only 11 remaining. For teams that don\u2019t share ownership, the days of cohabitating may soon be gone.<\/p>\n The Stars know, for them, that day is rapidly approaching.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to figure out if staying here in that scenario is economically viable for us for the next 10-20 years. It\u2019s not where we\u2019ve come. It\u2019s where we\u2019re going,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cThat\u2019s the exercise we have to do with the city and with ourselves internally, to understand, is this economically viable over the long term without an NBA tenant?\u201d<\/p>\n A year ago, the public-facing narrative was different.<\/p>\n The Mavericks\u2019 sale to billionaire Miriam Adelson and Patrick and Sivan Dumont of Las Vegas Sands Corp.<\/a>, one of the biggest casino operators in the world, indicated plans to build a casino-resort arena were progressing, even as gambling\u2019s legalization in Texas was not.<\/p>\n But whether the Mavericks stayed in Dallas or left for the suburbs, they showed an interest in including the Stars in their plans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe get along very well,\u201d Mavs governor Patrick Dumont told The News last spring<\/a>. \u201cI really value the partnership. I value their approach. I value how thoughtful they are, how much they care for the city and how much they want to provide a great fan experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Alberts also showed an unwavering commitment to the partnership, but told The News the Stars had not been consulted in any of the Mavericks\u2019 arena plans. A year later, nothing has changed.<\/p>\n The Mavericks have since taken more tangible steps to making their new arena a reality. While gambling legalization remains a barrier, the city of Irving greenlit rezoning that could pave the way for the arena on 182 acres primarily owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp<\/a>. The Mavericks also expressed a commitment to the city of Dallas and the intention of purchasing land within its limits in the next year.<\/p>\n Related:Jim Nill is the best GM in Dallas. What\u2019s the secret behind his success with the Stars?<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s their deal,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cI think they have expressed, obviously for years now, a desire to build a basketball-only facility, which means they have to go on their own. So that\u2019s the assumption that we\u2019re working under today that that\u2019s what they\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Welts reaffirmed that in an invite-only media event Tuesday<\/a>, but also said the Mavericks are committed to maintaining a relationship with the Stars through the end of the lease.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s definitely continuing until 2031. We\u2019re in this building together,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m still very hopeful we\u2019re going to be able to invest more money in this building to improve the fan experience in the time that we remain. We\u2019re prepared to do that.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond that, I think it\u2019s interesting. \u2026 At least for this point, we think the best option for the Mavericks right now and for the experience of going to Mavericks games would be to build a basketball-first facility.”<\/p>\n When asked for comment on the relationship with the Stars, a spokesperson for Dumont referred to Welts\u2019 remarks.<\/p>\n The Stars take pride in what they\u2019ve accomplished in Dallas since 1993. Alberts told The News the Stars\u2019 top choice is to remain at American Airlines Center after the lease expires in 2031.<\/p>\n The Stars and Mavericks split a base rental rate of $3.4 million per year and $1 million in additional payments annually, according to lease documents obtained by The News. Alberts says they have discussed their future at AAC with the city of Dallas, including the possibility of renegotiating that rate if they become the only tenant. He said they met as recently as last week.<\/p>\n But a city spokesperson would not confirm discussions have taken place with the Stars.<\/p>\n Weeks after telling The News in a statement that the city is \u201cworking closely with [Mavericks] officials to keep them in Dallas,\u201d a city spokesperson declined to comment on any efforts to do the same for the Stars.<\/p>\n Dallas council member Zarin Gracey, who heads the council\u2019s sports recruitment and retention committee, expressed a desire to keep the Stars in Dallas, alongside the Mavericks.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Dallas is fully committed to keeping both the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks in our great city \u2014 Dallas,” he said in a statement to The News. \u201cAs Chair of the Sports Recruitment and Retention Committee, I am working with city staff to ensure the Dallas Stars remain a cornerstone of our sports and entertainment landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n The city\u2019s response comes as other D-FW cities have inquired about the possibility of the Stars relocating there, Alberts said, but he emphasized those talks are in the early stages and the Stars are still committed to Dallas and American Airlines Center. As of now, Alberts said the Stars have not entertained the option of building a new arena in Dallas.<\/p>\n \u201cWe like the urban core. We think professional sports fits really well down here,\u201d he said. \u201cWe feel that this arena is a really good building. Does it need some improvement? Sure, just like any house that\u2019s 20-some years old.<\/p>\n \u201cBut look at this vibrant community that\u2019s built up around the arena because of the activity here. I have great respect for this and the business that has been created because of this being an arena district, so I take that decision \u2014 it\u2019s a big one \u2014 I take it very highly.\u201d<\/p>\n The Stars\u2019 wishes to stay at American Airlines Center and the ongoing negotiations involve significant renovations, including enhancements to premium seating, suites and improving food and beverage options.<\/p>\n Welts told The News the Mavericks plan to make improvements before the lease expires in 2031.<\/p>\n Permits had been filed with the city for $30 million in renovations last summer<\/a>, but Alberts said the Stars are awaiting word from the Mavericks about their plans, which will determine the extent of the upgrades and what they\u2019ll need to do on their own in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be nice if it was this summer,\u201d Alberts said of when he wants a final decision on the Mavericks\u2019 plans. \u201cThe next several months would probably be important.\u201d<\/p>\n How other teams make it work \u2014 or don\u2019t<\/p>\n The Mavericks shouldn\u2019t have a problem going on their own.<\/p>\n A basketball-only arena could be more lucrative for the franchise, which is more than twice as valuable as the Stars and among the top 10 in the NBA. It\u2019s also owned by Adelson, one of the wealthiest women in America and the 56th-richest person in the world, according to Forbes, with a net worth of $27.1 billion.<\/p>\n The Mavericks wouldn\u2019t be the first to build their own arena in recent years. Twelve of the last 13 NBA arenas built are basketball-only venues. The exception is Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, home to the Red Wings and Pistons, which opened in the 2017-18 season.<\/p>\n Before that, the most recent joint hockey-basketball venture was American Airlines Center, which opened 16 years prior. The Stars and Mavericks shared Reunion Arena from 1993-2001 before moving to AAC.<\/p>\n Of the 13 markets with both NHL and NBA franchises, 11 still share an arena, including six that have different ownership groups. But those buildings, besides Dallas and Detroit, were constructed before the turn of the century.<\/p>\n Dual arenas may be cost-effective and make more sense within a crowded urban space, but teams that have strayed from their in-market counterparts see just as many benefits of being on their own. Welts pointed to those advantages Tuesday in his argument for a basketball-first arena.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last two arenas that have been built in our league are basketball-only facilities,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re not designed for hockey. If you\u2019re into some of the architecture of these buildings, there\u2019s some real advantages for basketball fans if you design a basketball-only facility. You\u2019re not working around the larger geometry of the hockey rink versus a smaller floor footprint of a basketball court.\u201d<\/p>\n The Minnesota Timberwolves and Wild and the Florida Panthers and Miami Heat are the only NBA and NHL teams that share a market but not an arena. The Panthers and Heat shared Miami Arena from 1993-98 but relocated to different facilities. The Wild and Timberwolves have never shared.<\/p>\n Wild CEO Matt Majka said when the Stars left Minnesota for Dallas in 1993, there were discussions about relocating another team to Minneapolis to share Target Center. But once the NHL announced in 1996 that it would expand by four teams, a strong contingent from St. Paul made the push for a franchise.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was an existing arena in St. Paul called the St. Paul Civic Center,\u201d Majka told The News. \u201cWe had already had two arenas in the market. The league told us, \u2018If you\u2019re going to get a team, you\u2019re going to have to build a new arena in St. Paul.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Xcel Energy Center has remained their home since.<\/p>\n Majka said the dynamic with the Timberwolves and Target Center works, and while there is some competition for concerts, having the flexibility of dates and the ability to cater to different audiences serves both franchises well.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are absolutely competitive with Target Center in terms of concerts that are going to come to this market. That is undeniably a competitive situation,\u201d Majka said. \u201cBut us and the Wolves, we\u2019re good friends. Yes, we compete in the same season, but the demographics of basketball are very different than the demographics of hockey. I\u2019m not that convinced that we cannibalize each other from a ticket standpoint that much.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve lived through this for 30-plus years together, and we\u2019re all still standing.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the uncertainty, the Stars are confident they\u2019ll find a way to thrive, even after the Mavericks leave American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n They\u2019re Stanley Cup contenders again this year, with their first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche beginning at AAC on Saturday night<\/a>. They have recorded over 100 consecutive sellouts in their home stadium. They created the Victory+ app<\/a>, where the team\u2019s games are streamed for free, showing their commitment to a growing and loyal fan base.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t control what anybody thinks \u2014 about the sport, whether we\u2019re more popular or less popular. We are what we are,\u201d Alberts said. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve done in this city since we\u2019ve come here, what we\u2019ve done just in the last 10 years, I take great pride in.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, the Stars will keep waiting and planning behind the scenes, hoping the Mavericks make an official decision soon. That way, both teams can move in the separate directions they\u2019ve been drifting in for years, putting an end to a withering partnership that appeared robust only a year ago.<\/p>\n Staff writers Brad Townsend, Mike Curtis and Devyani Chhetri contributed to this report.<\/p>\n On X\/Twitter: @Lassimak<\/a><\/p>\n Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/EOQL5NGHQNAPVJ2HAE5HC6GB2U.JPG\")
Dallas Stars fans arrive at American Airlines Center for Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche on May 15, 2024, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki \/ Staff Photographer)Relationship nears its end<\/p>\n![\"Fans](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/7FIL3KK3NFGELNST6IWWKSCNMU.jpg\")
Fans cheer in the third period during Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers at American Airlines Center on May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (Chitose Suzuki \/ Staff Photographer)What will the Stars do?<\/p>\n