Mavericks hire Bob Voulgaris in front office role

In one of the most Mark Cuban moves Mark Cuban has ever made, the Mavericks are hiring former professional gambler Bob Voulgaris as director of quantitative research and development, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.

If that name doesn’t sound familiar, maybe his Twitter handle will: @haralabob. He’s been a popular basketball Twitter person for years, sharing insights he took from his research and analytics he compiled into a data base that helped him make a fortune betting on NBA games. Voulgaris’ popularity grew when he was featured on podcasts with Bill Simmons and various other media and shows.

The report is a little vague on what exactly Voulgaris’ role will be in the front office, but with sports gambling starting to become legal in the United States, it appears Cuban wants to stay ahead of the curve.

“In part, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is expected to utilize Voulgaris as a strategic thinker who will help examine on-court strategy in big picture ways,” the report said.

Maybe the Mavericks are going to pick Voulgaris’ brain to help get the Mavs set up for when sports gambling is eventually legal nationwide and fully embraced by the NBA — or maybe the Mavericks are going to earnestly give Voulgaris a chance to infuse the Mavericks with the insight and data he’s uncovered from his successful gambling career.

It’s unsure right now, but it wouldn’t be the Mavs if they didn’t do something out of the box.