Mavericks rumors: Dallas will elevate one of 2 rising assistants to fill head coaching vacancy

The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to let go of Jason Kidd as their head coach signals Masai Ujiri’s intention to lead the franchise in a new direction. And while Dallas has been linked to several big names as they continue to look for a new head coach, it seems as if the solution might lie elsewhere.

The likes of the Duke Blue Devils’ Jon Scheyer and the Michigan Wolverines’ Dusty May have been linked to the job. As per ESPN, it now seems that the most likely outcome for the Mavericks is “elevating one of the NBA’s rising assistants.”

That was the approach Ujiri took with the appointment of Nick Nurse back in 2018 as the Toronto Raptors head coach, similar to the way he appointed Darko Rajakovic, who replaced Nurse back in 2023. Of course, things are different at the Mavericks considering Kidd only had a limited role in front office decisions during Mark Cuban’s time at the franchise.

Ujiri was brought in to establish a new culture and is understood to be the leading voice in major operations since coming in. And while initial reports claimed that Kidd may as well get more time, the former Mavericks and Phoenix Suns star was only one of the multiple executives and coaches that Dallas have let go off in recent weeks and months.

The aim, therefore, appears to be that whoever comes in will be willing to work with the rest of the organization, and the overall direction that Ujiri wants the Mavericks to head in. Hence, instead of a big-name head coach who will inevitably want to be involved with the front office, the Mavericks appear to be headed towards an internal promotion that will allow them to continue with their new vision.

That, of course, can be expected to be tooled towards building a championship-contending team around Cooper Flagg.

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