Former Mavericks GM's Lawsuit Against Team Dismissed

The case was scheduled to go to trial in December but has already been dismissed by Dallas county courts

Jun 22, 2018; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson answers questions during a press conference at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

When Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks let go of long-time general manager Donnie Nelson following the 2020-21 season, it was initially announced as a "mutual" parting of ways. That was quickly determined not to be the case when Nelson, the son of the legendary coach Don Nelson, sued the Mavericks in March of 2022 for multiple reasons, the main one being he believed he was fired for being the whistle-blower of sexual misconduct allegations.

The lawsuit was set to go to trial this December, but as ESPN's Tim McMahon first reported, the Dallas County courts dismissed the case "with prejudice." This means the matter is over with and Nelson cannot refile the lawsuit with the same claims.

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Nelson filed the lawsuit alleging that Mark Cuban's "right-hand man," Jason Lutin, harassed and assaulted Nelson's nephew in a hotel in Chicago during the 2020 All-Star weekend. Mark Cuban vehemently reputed the lawsuit at the time.

"Everything in that filing is a lie," Cuban said in an email to ESPN in 2022. "We did multiple complete investigations and the only person that did not live up to the standards of the Dallas Mavericks was Mr. Nelson. He was fired as a result. He was well aware of the investigation. He refused to fully participate. I will say it again, everything he said is a lie."

The Mavericks had just come off their best regular season since 2014-15 and their second straight playoff appearance when Nelson was fired from the organization. Just from that glimpse, one could argue his dismissal wasn't results-based, but there was a lot of internal friction with Cuban, Nelson, and then-head coach Rick Carlisle. Luka Doncic carried that team to the success they were having, as the final playoff game before they were eliminated, he was starting next to a checked-out Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, and Boban Marjanovic.

More details about the entire complaint can be read in ESPN's initial report, but it also alleged Cuban pulled a massive multi-year contract extension off the table from Nelson, who spent 24 years in the Mavericks organization.

With the case already being dismissed before reaching trial, it's reasonable to assume the lawsuit had little ground to stand on, and Nelson was fired from the Mavericks for legitimate reasons. Since Nelson left the team, Nico Harrison has built up a strong roster that has made two Conference Finals appearances, including the NBA Finals last season.

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