Dallas Mavericks: Donnie Nelson is now longest tenured GM in NBA

The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of their first-round playoff series versus the LA Clippers, but that does not stop the NBA news. On Wednesday, the Boston Celtics announced that GM Danny Ainge is retiring from his role of President of Basketball Operations and General Manager and that coach Brad Stevens would replace him. Boston will be searching for a new coach. The Celtics shakeup made a bit of news for the Mavericks.

Brad Townsend reported that Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson is now the longest-tenured in the position. Nelson is the third longest-tenured top decision-maker for a team behind the Heat’s Pat Riley and the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich.

Nelson has made some key moves during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks. Let us take a look back before looking ahead to a pivotal offseason for the franchise.

Dallas Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson now longest-tenured in NBA

Nelson joined the Mavs in 1998 as assistant GM under his father. He played a key role in recruiting and draft Dirk Nowitzki. Donnie was promoted to General Manager and President of Basketball Operation in 2005. He was in the role for both of the Mavericks’ NBA Finals appearances and their championship in 2011.

Nelson drafted current star Luka Doncic and has been a prominent decision-maker in Dallas making the playoffs in 17 of the last 21 seasons. Owner Mark Cuban has the final say, but Nelson’s input is massive.

A pivotal offseason lies ahead for the Dallas Mavericks. They have a superstar but are looking for the pieces to put around him to jump into title contention. The Mavs have cap space and some glaring holes in their roster. Can Cuban and Nelson acquire the necessary pieces for Dallas to take the next step? If not, does that impact their ability to keep Luka long-term?

Fans will be watching closely this offseason. Expect the Dallas Mavericks to be active and aggressive. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.