The future of Dallas sports at the American Airlines Center

The big picture: Team owners across the country are pushing to develop entertainment districts that attract fans for more than just games.

• But some communities are rejecting tax-supported arena projects. Missouri voters last year rejected a tax that would've funded a downtown Kansas City ballpark and updates to the football stadium.

State of play: The Dallas Mavericks' lease with the AAC ends in 2031, and the team has been talking about wanting a new arena for several years.

• Even before selling his majority stake, Mark Cuban talked about wanting a new Mavs arena to be part of an entertainment district with gambling.

Driving the news: The team hopes to stay in Dallas, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts told the Star-Telegram.

• Welts said the team hopes to identify a location for a new arena early next year. It's not clear to what extent the team would look for taxpayer support.

The intrigue: The Stars have also been looking at new arena sites, even outside Dallas.

• Plano could be a frontrunner. Stars CEO Brad Alberts told Front Office Sports this month that the team is exploring options for a new arena or staying in Dallas after its lease at the AAC expires in 2031.
• "We are going through due diligence to make sure that if we are going to leave, we have the right spot," Alberts said.

Zoom out: Dallas leaders have said for years that they want to keep professional sports teams within the city limits and attract new ones to the city.

• The Wings are moving their WNBA games from Arlington to Dallas. And pro women's soccer team Dallas Trinity FC plays at the Cotton Bowl.

What they're saying: "I absolutely love both the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars," City Manager Kimberly Tolbert told WFAA in August. "I need both of them to stay in Dallas."