Dallas Mavericks' Dream GM Target May Be Off the Table Now

The Dallas Mavericks are still without someone to run their basketball operations as of May 1st. They fired Nico Harrison in November, which came way too late, but the draft lottery is now less than a week and a half away, as it's scheduled for May 10th.

It was always the goal of team governor Patrick Dumont to have someone in place by the middle of May. Ideally, that person would be with the team before the lottery so they can start honing in on specific draft prospects once the draft order is finalized.

Dumont wanted to go big-name hunting, and someone quickly connected with the Mavs was Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. There was a thought that he may be attainable, even if there currently wasn't an out in his contract. However, that dream appears unlikely now, especially since the Timberwolves have advanced in the NBA playoffs.

"As the week progressed, even before Minnesota's Game 6 win, sources tell [The Stein Line] there has been a growing resignation in Dallas that permission to speak with the Wolves' Tim Connelly in search of a new head of basketball operations is unlikely to be granted," NBA Marc Stein tweeted late Thursday night.

Any talk of Connelly possibly switching teams would've come after the Timberwolves were eliminated from the playoffs, but with them moving onto the second round, the timelines just aren't going to line up.

STORY UPDATE: As the week progressed, even before Minnesota's Game 6 win, sources tell @TheSteinLine there has been a growing resignation in Dallas that permission to speak with the Wolves' Tim Connelly in search of a new head of basketball operations is unlikely to be granted. https://t.co/mUxnN539n4
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 1, 2026

Where do the Mavericks Go From Here for Next General Manager?

With Tim Connelly now likely off the board, the Mavericks are going to have to pivot to other targets for their general manager/president of basketball operations. Who could those targets be?

The easiest option would be to promote someone from their current co-CM setup: Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley. Both people have made it known that they would like the job and have performed admirably this season, executing the risky Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards, clearing a lot of future salary between Davis, Jaden Hardy, and D'Angelo Russell. That gives them some financial flexibility they haven't had in a long time.

Of the two, Riccardi seems to be the better candidate.

Another option is Dennis Lindsey, the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons, but he was an advisor for the Mavs during their run to the NBA Finals, and ran the Utah Jazz during their successful stretch during the 2010s. He's Mark Cuban's preferred choice, but Cuban doesn't have any say in the matter. In fact, with how vocal Cuban has been recently about his displeasure with the Mavs, Dumont may go completely away from anything Cuban wants.

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