Latest On Mavericks’ Head Coaching Search

We haven’t heard much about the Mavericks‘ head coaching search in the two-plus weeks since the team parted ways with Jason Kidd, but league sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that Dallas has begun seeking permission to speak to candidates for the job.

The expectation, according to Fischer and Stein, is that the Mavs will interview a dozen or so candidates before making a decision.

Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, Celtics assistant Tony Dobbins, and Heat consultant Noah LaRoche are among the coaches the Mavericks have either already registered interest in or plan to reach out to soon, sources tell The Stein Line.

Veteran coach Terry Stotts, who isn’t remaining in his position on Steve Kerr‘s staff in Golden State, is also expected to interview for the position, Fischer and Stein add, noting that Stotts – who has previous head coaching experience with Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Portland – currently only has interest in head coaching jobs.

Former Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney was among the potential targets on Dallas’ radar, but he was already far down the road on a deal with the Magic by the time the Mavs reached out and has since been officially hired by Orlando, per The Stein Line.

While the most likely outcome is that the Mavericks hire a coach from the NBA ranks, there have been some exploratory conversations to see whether college coaches like Duke’s Jon Scheyer, who previously coached Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, or Michigan’s Dusty May would have any interest in the Dallas job, Fischer and Stein report. For what it’s worth, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints previously reported that Scheyer is “fully locked in” with the Blue Devils and isn’t interested in leaving Duke at this time, so he’s unlikely to emerge as a legitimate candidate for the Mavs.

According to Fischer and Stein, there’s an expectation that new Mavs president Masai Ujiri, who hired Darko Rajakovic in Toronto, will keep an eye on European options and perhaps explore potential options in the women’s game as well.

Ujiri, who was hired by the Mavs earlier this spring, said in May that he expects the coaching search to be “very comprehesive” and to turn over “every stone.”

“I think our minds are very open,” Ujiri said at the time. “We’re going to look everywhere. …We will really try to look at what’s best for this organization, be it first-time, be it experienced, be it college, be it European. Everywhere. Whatever is best for this organization going forward is what we are going to look at.”