Mavs v. Stars | New claims say Dallas Mavericks are really based in Vegas

If the Stars’ claims are true, none of the big four pro sports teams tied to North Texas is actually based in Dallas.

DALLAS — The battle between the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars over control of the American Airlines Center has taken a sharp turn, with the Stars now arguing in court that the Mavericks are no longer a Dallas-based franchise at all — but are actually headquartered in Las Vegas.

In newly filed pleadings, the Stars say the Mavericks’ owners designated Las Vegas as the team’s principal corporate and executive office in 2024, in violation of the Mavericks’ own franchise agreement with the City of Dallas. That agreement requires the Mavericks to maintain their corporate headquarters inside Dallas city limits — the same provision the Mavericks claim the Stars violated decades ago. 

The allegation reframes the central dispute between the franchises. The Mavericks claim they became sole operators of the AAC after buying out the Stars’ shares for $110 in 2024, but the Stars now say the Mavericks themselves triggered the very “relocation” clause they are trying to enforce. 

According to the Stars, filings with the Texas Secretary of State show that the Mavericks’ ownership designated Las Vegas, Nevada, as the club’s official principal business location.

“The Mavericks engaged in the very conduct they allege entitles them to take full control of the American Airlines Center,” the Stars’ attorneys wrote. 

The Mavericks argue that they legally became the sole operator of the AAC last year, when they delivered a $100 bill and a $10 bill to the Stars in an “Attempted Takeover Letter” — payment they say satisfied the buyout clause triggered when the Stars moved their headquarters to Frisco in 2003.

They claim the Stars’ refusal to return to Dallas — combined with what they describe as years of vetoes, stalled spending, and blocked employee bonuses — left them no choice but to exercise their contractual right to take full control of AAC’s management companies.

The Mavericks also contend that Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert confirmed the team as the arena’s operator in an Oct. 3 letter.

The Stars counter that the Mavericks’ claims were already resolved during the Stars’ 2011 bankruptcy case. They say both the Mavericks and the City of Dallas were notified of the Stars’ Frisco headquarters at the time and failed to raise objections, which the Stars argue released the Mavericks’ current claims. 

The City of Dallas has since publicly avoided taking sides, saying it wants to keep both franchises in the city.

Injunction hearings are set for Nov. 24 and 25, when a judge may decide whether the Mavericks can temporarily bar the Stars from participating in arena operations.

A jury trial is set for Jan. 26, 2026, according to the Texas Business Court.