Dallas Mavericks' incoming CEO has Warriors ties

Why it matters: Under his leadership, franchises have won four NBA titles, two WNBA titles and one NBA G League title.

• The Warriors won three championships with Welts as their president and chief operating officer.

The big picture: The Mavericks have gone through significant changes in recent years, from switching up their roster to include power players like Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to bringing in new leadership.

The intrigue: Welts was president of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury before joining the Warriors organization. The Seattle native was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

• He's also friends with Cynt Marshall, the outgoing Mavericks CEO.
• "It gives me great pleasure to pass the baton to my friend, Rick Welts. From the day I joined the Mavs, I've benefited from his knowledge and vast experience in the sports and entertainment industry," Marshall said in a statement.

Flashback: Welts was the first prominent U.S. sports executive to publicly identify as a gay man. The San Francisco mayor officiated his wedding in 2020.

What they're saying: "I can't wait to get started learning all I can about Dallas and how best to serve our fans and this community," Welts said in a statement.

What's next: The Mavericks are 17-9 this season. They play the Clippers tonight.

• Welts starts as CEO on Jan. 1.

The bottom line: It's about time to bring home another championship.