On a surprising turn of events, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks no longer have a General Manager or a coach. Rick Carlisle resigned as the team’s coach and will now be one of the most sought-after people around the NBA.
Coach Rick Carlisle spent 13 years in charge of the team and built a strong reputation around the league, leading them to the NBA Finals and securing the only NBA championship in franchise history.
The Mavericks will now have plenty of candidates to interview for the job, but they’ll have to make a sound decision if they want to compete at the highest level after back-to-back first-round exits to the Los Angeles Clippers. Here, we break down the most likely candidates to take over.
Top Candidates To Coach The Dallas Mavericks
3. Terry Stotts
Terry Stotts and the Portland Trail Blazers mutually agreed to part ways after yet another failed playoff run. He’s a part of Rick Carlisle’s coaching tree so he’ll be a familiar face to the organization, and he clearly knows how to take an offense to a different level.
On the downside, Stotts’ teams have been infamous for how poor they’ve been in the defensive end, and the Mavericks sure need to improve in that regard. Some believe that he’d be better off as an assistant coach, but he sure has Mark Cuban’s approval.
2. Jamhal Mosley
Talking about familiar faces. Jamhal Mosley has been a part of the organization for quite a while now and he seems like the logical next in line to take the helms of the team. Also, he’s on Luka Doncic’s good side, which is a lot to say.
Mosley has been on several team’s radars for a coaching position over the past couple of years and he’s familiar with the organization and the players. Nonetheless, his job as a defensive tacticianhas been questionable, to say the least.
1. Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd doesn’t want to be an assistant coach anymore. He’s got ties with the franchise after several years running the point and being a part of their championship squad. He’s got a solid relationship with Mark Cuban.
Kidd’s first two coaching stints didn’t go as planned but he’ll have more talent at his disposal this time. He’s a great defensive mind and one of the smartest players of all time and is respected among the players. However, his history of domestic abuse makes him a controversial hiring, for sure.