Former Mavericks General Manager Donnie Nelson Sues The Team, Citing Wrongful Termination

On Thursday, ex-Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson filed a lawsuit against the organization.

Nelson has accused owner Mark Cuban of terminating him last summer because he reported that a top staffer had harassed and sexually assaulted Nelson’s nephew.

“This filing is full of lies and ridiculous. The NBA was fully aware of our investigation of Mr. Nelson and his allegations. They were also aware of the reasons of Mr. Nelson’s termination that were the result of our investigations,” Cuban stated.

Nelson worked for the franchise for 24 years. Court documents state that Cuban offered Nelson $52 million to drop the wrongful termination case. It also says that Cuban wanted Nelson to agree to sign a confidentiality statement in connection to the supposed abuse.

Nelson claims that Mavs executive Jason Lutin, 37, harassed and assaulted his nephew in a hotel room during an interview. He says it occurred in Chicago during All-Star Weekend in 2020.

Lutin has said that that the accusations are false. “What this man (Nelson) is doing to someone like me is absolutely unspeakable,” he said. “It’s a complete lie.”

Nelson has called Lutin a “sexual predator.”

Cuban believes that the lawsuit is retaliation for Nelson’s firing. The Dallas Mavericks have said that Nelson “refused to cooperate with the investigators that were looking into the behavior.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the team paid a settlement to Nelson’s nephew. Nelson only became aware of it after he and Cuban started talking about a 10-year contract extension.

In June 2021, Nelson was terminated by the Mavs. This came although Nelson said Cuban had offered him a 10-year, $66 million contract.