CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians will take on another name, but not at least for one more year.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan said Monday that the team will continue to be called Indians until a new name is chosen. He said the process is in its early stages and it’s possible the team will play their entire 2021 season as the Indians.

“We’ll be the Indians in 2021 and then after that, it’s a difficult and complex process to identify a new name and do all the things you do around activating that name,” Dolan told AP reporter Tom Withers. “We are going to work at as quick a pace as we can while doing it right.

“But we’re not going to do something just for the sake of doing it. We’re going to take the time we need to do it right.”

Dolan said the team will not adopt an interim name until choosing its new one.

“We don’t want to be the Cleveland Baseball Team or some other interim name,” he said. “We will continue to be the Indians until we have identified the next name that will hopefully take us through multiple centuries.”

Citing three people familiar with the decision, The New York Times reported Sunday night that the team is moving away from a name considered racist for decades. The Indians have been internally discussing a potential name change for months.

It has been the team name for 105 years.

According to the team website, “Cleveland took on the name ‘Indians’ in 1915, reviving a nickname of its old NL club upon the arrival of this Native American in 1897. Hall of famer John Montgomery Ward referred to Sockalexis as ‘a marvel’.”

The conversation of removing the name and visuals, such as the longtime mascot Chief Wahoo, has been ongoing and picked up steam when the NFL team formally known as the Redskins, became The Washington Football Team.

Last year, the team removed the contentious Chief Wahoo logo from its caps and jerseys, but the smiling, cartoonish mascot has remained popular and merchandise is still sold bearing its image.

According to the New York Times article, there are no immediate plans of what will replace the Indians name.

The move even drew attention from President Donald Trump, who slammed the decision in a Twitter post.

“Oh no! What is going on?” the president tweeted. “This is not good news, even for ”Indians”. Cancel culture at work!”

Various names have been suggested during the replacement conversation, with possibly the most proposed being the name, “Spiders,” a National League team in Cleveland from 1887-1899.

Cleveland baseball is not the first Ohio organization to change its name regarding sensitivity to Native American culture. Miami University changed its name from the Redskins to RedHawks in 1997-98. Multiple high schools also have or have considered changing nicknames for the same reasons.

In July, just hours after Washington’s plans became known after being pressured by several sponsors, including FedEx which holds naming rights to the football’s team’s stadium, Cleveland owner Paul Dolan released a statement saying the team would review “the best path forward with our team name.”

In the months since, the team has consulted players, front office members, coaching staff, community leaders, share holders and Native American groups.

A few days after Dolan’s statement, Indians manager Terry Francona said it was time to “move forward” with the name change.

“I’ve been thinking about it and been thinking about it before we put out that statement,” said Francona, who has been with the club since 2013. “I know in the past, when I’ve been asked about, whether it’s our name or the Chief Wahoo, I think I would usually answer and say I know that we’re never trying to be disrespectful.

“And I still feel that way. But I don’t think that’s a good enough answer today. I think it’s time to move forward. It’s a very difficult subject. It’s also delicate.”

The Cleveland organization did not initially make a comment on the status of its team name.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.