Mavericks Fans Upset Over Changes to Partial Season-Ticket Packages
Some Dallas Mavericks fans are voicing their frustration over changes to the team’s partial season-ticket offerings for the 2026-27 season, with some describing the move as a “bait and switch.”
The controversy centers around two of Dallas’ 10-game ticket packages. Instead of receiving 10 regular-season home games as some fans expected, each package includes nine regular-season contests and one preseason matchup.
The “Three Point” package features the Oct. 14 preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, while the “Weekend” package includes the Oct. 16 preseason matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.
Fans who are used to 10-game plans consisting entirely of regular-season games have criticized the change online. Some have also pointed out that highly anticipated games featuring Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers, aren’t included in any of the available 10-game packages.
A Mavericks spokesperson told The Athletic that the team offers eight different season-ticket plan options for the upcoming season. Two consist exclusively of regular-season games, five include at least one preseason contest, and another gives fans the option to purchase preseason tickets.
The team emphasized that both the “Three Point” and “Weekend” plans still provide 10 Mavericks home games, but the breakdown is nine regular-season games plus one preseason contest. According to the organization, the packages were created to offer fans different combinations of opponents, dates and value based on the price of each plan.
The Athletic also confirmed that all four of the Mavericks’ 10-game packages are priced the same.
The ticket controversy comes after Mavericks CEO Rick Welts announced in February that the team would not raise season-ticket prices for the 2026-27 season. The decision came at the direction of team governor Patrick Dumont following a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
Welts said Dumont made it clear that the organization didn’t believe it was appropriate to increase prices after failing to meet expectations on the court. The decision was viewed by the team as both popular with fans and the right thing to do.
There is no league-wide standard for how preseason games are handled in partial season-ticket packages. The San Antonio Spurs, for example, include one preseason game in each of their two 10-game plans. The Houston Rockets take the opposite approach, with none of their four 10-game packages containing preseason contests.
Other teams, including the Golden State Warriors, offer 10 regular-season games along with an additional preseason matchup.
Some Mavericks fans have also told The Athletic that this isn’t the first time the organization has considered including preseason games in partial ticket plans. According to those fans, Dallas initially planned to add a preseason contest to certain 10-game packages before the 2022-23 season, but ultimately changed course.
At that time, Mark Cuban remained the Mavericks’ majority owner. He later sold his controlling interest in the franchise to Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont in December 2023.
For frustrated fans, the issue isn’t simply about one preseason game. It is about whether a package advertised as a 10-game plan should be expected to provide 10 regular-season games, particularly when the pricing remains the same across the different options.
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