Mavericks may be chasing the wrong names in their GM search

Listen closely. That silence? It’s the Dallas Mavericks’ search for a new general manager, and with the NBA Draft Lottery and Combine less than two weeks away, that silence is getting more deafening by the day.

How "gettable" is Tim Connelly?

Okay, okay, I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on Jake Fischer and Marc Stein’s weekend report linking the Dallas Mavericks to Tim Connelly of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Yet, how plausible is Dallas’ interest in Connelly? We’re talking about the active president of basketball operations for a playoff team that is one win away from the Western Conference Semifinals. It’s hard to buy. Sure, Fischer and Stein called him "gettable," but we’ll see how real that actually is. Connelly built the Minnesota Timberwolves into what they are now, far from the directionless group they were before he arrived.

While the "gettable" label stems from Connelly’s expiring contract, what real reason is there for him to leave? Sure, financial gain or a new challenge could lure him away from the Timberwolves, but that’s exactly why the Mavericks’ GM search is starting to feel worrisome. Beyond Connelly, who’s already (and likely happily) employed, there just aren’t many viable targets.

On the flip side, the Chicago Bulls, as noted by Fischer and Stein, are deep into their own search for a general manager. Chicago was reportedly keen on Austin Brown of CAA before he opted not to pursue the role. Still, that hasn’t slowed things down. The Bulls have since shifted their focus to a broader pool of candidates, including Matt Lloyd, a key figure in Minnesota and Connelly’s right-hand man, among others.

Dallas Mavericks' GM search is off to a disorganized start

Yet, while the Bulls are eyeing more attainable, up-and-coming candidates like Lloyd, the Mavericks have consistently targeted names that are far more difficult to pry away, and not just Connelly, but also former Golden State Warriors architect Bob Myers, who now serves as president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

It’s becoming less interesting and more perplexing for a franchise that should have an attractive opening. Then again, it’s not like prior decisions have paid off. Dallas is prioritizing Kidd, limiting a future GM’s authority from the jump. And perhaps most concerning of all. Majority owner Patrick Dumont is running the search himself. Unlike the Chicago Bulls, there’s no search firm involved.

Luckily for Dallas, it’s still an NBA GM opening, so yeah, it’ll attract interest. And they do have some solid fallback options in Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi. But that doesn’t change the bigger issue: the silence is getting concerning. And if Connelly’s Minnesota Timberwolves advance to the second round, Dallas’ preferred target won’t even be available to interview before the draft lottery and combine. Yeesh.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow