Recently, it was announced that former Minnesota Timberwolves Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ethan Casson will become the president of the Dallas Mavericks. Shortly after the Wolves' long-running ownership dispute was finalized, Casson left the Wolves in June after nine years of running Minnesota’s business operations. Notably, Casson also oversaw business operations for the Minnesota Lynx and Iowa Wolves.
NEWS: Former Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx CEO Ethan Casson has been named president of the Dallas Mavericks. Casson will report to Mavs CEO Rick Welts. Casson left the Wolves/Lynx in June after 9 years leading the business operations.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) July 29, 2025
Before becoming Minnesota’s CEO, Casson spent 11 years with the Wolves, working as the vice president of corporate sponsorships. He later served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the San Francisco 49ers. Casson’s experience makes him perfectly suited for the president role with the Mavericks.
Casson helped the Wolves transform their franchise
Casson was part of the Wolves' turning around their franchise. He was noted for increasing the Timberwolves' community presence. The New Hampshire native also helped oversee crucial hires, including Chris Finch and Tim Connelly. From a business perspective, the Wolves increased from 27th to 10th in attendance under Casson. Of course, this is mainly due to the Wolves becoming title contenders. However, it’s also partly credit to Casson’s leadership.
Casson’s relationship with previous Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor was well-documented; he was said to be a trusted advisor for Taylor. It’s likely not a coincidence that Casson stepped down after Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez won the grueling ownership dispute over Taylor. Ironically, he is now joining the organization that the Wolves lost to in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.
Lore and Rodriguez have named Kelly Laferriere as the interim CEO of the Timberwolves and Lynx.
Casson will play an important role with the Mavs
With the Mavericks, Casson will have plenty of responsibilities as the team looks to build a new arena and entertainment district. Casson will work alongside CEO Rick Welts, who was recently hired seven months ago.
This marks a period of change for the Dallas Mavericks. Notably, the Mavericks were sold to Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont in 2023. Furthermore, the Mavericks infamously traded Luka Dončić in February 2025. Regardless, the addition of Casson is an exciting one for the Mavs, given his impressive experience, and Welts recently spoke to this.
“He will be my partner in charting the team into the future and will allow me to devote more time to our strategic priorities, including the building of our new arena and entertainment district in Dallas, and our transition from a basketball organization to a sports and entertainment company operating our own venue,” Welts said in a team statement.
Casson previously helped oversee the 49ers' building of Levi Stadium, which will undoubtedly benefit him in his new venture. Overall, the business operations side of basketball can often go under the radar, but Mavs fans should be excited to have Casson on board.