Sad news:the mavs nation current head coach has been declined and the second coach is very happy to take over…
ill the Mavs become a more notable free-agent destination? Or will Doncic lament the potential exit of Jamahl Mosley?
A week after the abrupt departures of head coach Rick Carlisle and general manager Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks have new leadership in place, according to Mark Cuban.
The team on Friday verbally agreed to terms with Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison to be their next head coach and general manager, respectively.
While Kidd and Harrison’s arrivals will affect the entire franchise, Mavericks-related moves often circle back to one key factor: Luka Doncic.
Ask Doncic a question about his career goals, playoff aspirations or individual accolades, and he almost always points to championships.
That’s the pedigree Doncic was raised on in Slovenia and the EuroLeague, where he led Real Madrid to a title in 2018, and that’s the history and familiarity Kidd brings back to the Mavericks.
Kidd, then a 38-year-old point guard, helped lead the Mavericks’ 2011 championship run, and he was an assistant coach for the Lakers’ 2020 title in the NBA bubble.
While his 183-190 record as a head coach doesn’t signal frequent success, Kidd has experience at the sport’s highest stage — the one Doncic ardently wants to reach.
Doncic and Kidd haven’t interacted much — at least publicly — since Doncic arrived in the NBA.
They sat at the same table at an 2020 All-Star Weekend charity event, where former President Barack Obama teased Doncic about learning from Kidd. The Lakers’ coaching staff, including Kidd, also led Team LeBron and Doncic during the showcase.
But early reports indicate Kidd’s assistant could be even more familiar with Doncic.
Former point guard J.J. Barea said earlier this month he would love to “be a part of the Mavericks forever” and has drawn interest for a role on Kidd’s staff.
Doncic and Barea overlapped for two seasons before Barea was waived last December. The two developed a close relationship — bonding over their fluency in Spanish and Doncic’s little-brother demeanor — and have kept in touch while Barea played last season in Spain.
When reports about the Mavericks’ interest in Harrison started to circulate, many casual NBA fans and followers knew little about the former Nike executive.
Players across the league didn’t wonder.
