The Dallas Mavericks safeguarded the No. 1 general choice in the 2025 NBA Draft. WFAA’s Jonah Javad took a seat with Mavs Chief Executive Officer Rick Welts after the stunning minute.
DALLAS– Much less than 24-hour after the Dallas Mavericks unbelievely won the 2025 NBA Draft Lotto Game, Mavs chief executive officer Rick Welts took a seat with WFAA’s Jonah Javad to share understandings and behind the curtain tales regarding the franchise business’s future-altering evening.
Regardless of a 1.8% possibility, the Mavs came away with the # 1 general choice and (most likely) the legal rights to prepare Fight it out super star Cooper Flagg. Flagg is extensively taken into consideration the leading possibility in this year’s draft course for his uncommon mix of dimension, athleticism, protective ability and precise border capturing.
Welts gotten here in very early January as the substitute for previous Mavs chief executive officer Cynthia Marshall, that retired at the end of 2024. Ever since, the previous Golden State Warriors group head of state has actually observed one of the most unstable 4 months in Mavericks background, headlined by the spectacular profession of celebrity Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
.
Below is a transcription of the Q&An in between Javad and Welts:
Jonah Javad: Just how much rest did you obtain last evening?
Dallas Mavericks Chief Executive Officer Rick Welts: Not significantly, yet that recommended great factors.
JJ: What have the responses been from [Mavs GM] Nico Harrison and [owner] Patrick Dumont?
Welts: Thrilled for Nico. The entire basketball team was with each other in a meeting room at the resort and went definitely berserk which was amazing. I called Patrick [Dumont] right after and he really did not reach view it live. Among his children had a track satisfy. So, he obtained a telephone call from Mark Cuban to inform him that we were mosting likely to remain in the leading 4. Obtained a 2nd call from Mark, which he could not recognize since there was a lot shouting taking place, to discover that we won lottery game.
JJ: What is the relevance of this minute? Not simply for the group on the flooring yet the franchise business overall and, naturally, the followers?
Welts: What an incredible turnaround of lot of money, right? I do not understand that any person would certainly have had the nerve to create this manuscript. That would certainly have obtained tossed out that, could not have actually occurred. However, I’m so pleased for our followers. The one point I have actually found out given that I have actually been below is exactly how amazing the psychological accessory is in between our followers and this group. We understood a time would certainly come, with time with winning, when we can develop back some connections that had actually ended up being torn. Nobody anticipated it to occur this quickly, this rapidly, the method it did. So, there were a great deal of call in Mavericks’ workplaces last evening. Phone was sounding off the hook and afterwards proceeding today. So, extremely pleased for our follower base to be able to have such positive outlook looking towards following period currently.
JJ: You utilized that expression last evening in your meeting also: “Turnaround of lot of money of impressive percentages.” Why is that? In what method? To me, that type of suggests that there was misery.
Welts: Well, no group has actually ever before experienced the background of injuries that the Mavericks did in 2015, which is just rotten luck. So, in between that and all the feelings bordering the profession, we were entering into the offseason type of– that was a disappointment. Was not the year that any person anticipated. We really felt the lineup itself was created extremely well, with a healthy and balanced Kyrie Irving, to be a rival in the West. But this alters the formula, right? It’s mosting likely to be tough to visualize we’re not mosting likely to remain in the talk for that’s going home with the Larry O’Brien Prize.
JJ: This whole circumstance, if you’re a fan of conspiracy theories, it is suitable. ‘Mavs trade Luka to LA. Big market. We’ll offer you the primary choice as payment.’ Pay attention, I’m not stating I purchase it, yet what would certainly you claim to those that assume that this entire point was set up?
Welts: I would certainly recommend you market it, deny it. However, I have actually dealt with this my entire life. I was the exec accountable of the NBA Draft Lottery game, 40 years and someday earlier at the Waldorf-Astoria Resort in New York City City, when, unbelievely, David Stern drew the New york city Knicks envelope out of a clear plastic drum. And the Knicks picked Patrick Ewing because draft. I have actually been doing meetings regarding the conspiracy theory concepts bordering that draft for 40 years currently, so it would not stun me if a couple of conspiracy theory philosophers appeared once again this moment around. However, my hands showed up during. I was resting at a table. I had absolutely nothing to do with the procedure. So, I’m quite certain that individuals will certainly believe in the outcome.
JJ: You simply have the magic touch, I think. All over you go, these coincidences maintain appearing.
Welts: Let’s hope they proceed.
JJ: Several of the buzz on social networks– and can not place way too much supply right into simply hypotheticals– yet there’s babble of: Would certainly you trade the choice for Giannis [Antetokounmpo]? Would certainly you trade the choice directly for Luka [Doncic]? Do the Mavericks have any kind of intents of trading the primary choice?
Welts: That’s a wonderful inquiry for Nico Harrison. And I question you’re gon na obtain a response from Nico prior to draft day.
JJ: What are the Mavericks really hoping that this choice provides for the group and lineup building progressing? Considering 2 years from currently, there was a great deal of unpredictability on what that lineup was mosting likely to resemble. This, at the very least, gives a look of what maybe.
Welts: This is something that I make sure Jason Kidd invested a great deal of time considering last evening in between parties. Due to the fact that we have a collection of bigs currently unlike any kind of group in the organization, perhaps any kind of group in organization background. So, exactly how to create which 5 gamers get on the court when and await Kyrie to obtain healthy and balanced. Someone attempted to define it to me last evening as a trouble and I claimed I would not take into consideration that a trouble.
JJ: Offered the after effects from followers after the [Luka] profession. Seeing that feeling which response, what offers you self-confidence that Nico Harrison is the best male to run this group with this brand-new period of Mavs basketball?
Welts: I have actually been enjoying this from a range for the previous couple of years with Nico below. And if you have a look at his record on professions or freelance finalizings. I bear in mind when he authorized Kyrie Irving, there were not a great deal of groups around that claimed, ‘I assume that’s the person I wish to have running my crime.’ I invested 4 years despising Kyrie Irving since I was with the Golden State Warriors and he damaged my heart many times I shed matter. However reaching view him below, what an incredible ability. And there weren’t a great deal of individuals happy to take that come across Kyrie then in his job, so in between that, the professions that he’s made, and his good luck in the lottery game, I assume it’s a respectable option.
JJ: Who are the Mavs taking with the initial choice, Rick?
Welts: Whoever Niko chooses we’re gon na choose.
JJ: Come on currently … Cooper Flagg– your impacts of him as a gamer, as an individual and what he can offer a franchise business.
Welts: I read regarding his success, at every degree of his job, has actually simply been impressive. I did obtain a possibility to present myself to him. Do not call it a conspiracy theory. I was seated at the group table, closest individual to Cooper when I arrived. Rolando Blackmon was seated dead facility on the collection. And afterwards when it came down to 4, he was seated best beside [NBA Deputy Commissioner] Mark Tatum at the platform. So, there was something airborne last evening that that maintained us near Cooper. His success at every degree, unlike actually any kind of gamer in background, and he’s simply done it with one at Fight it out. Simply impressive. University Gamer of the Year. Astonishing.
JJ: What was your communication with him? Did you claim anything? ‘Welcome to Dallas.’
Welts: I simply presented myself to him and claimed we’re anticipating seeing even more of you in the future.
