Masai Ujiri Has 8 Days To Find A Coach, Or His Mavs Free Agents Could Bolt

Holy cow, Seattle, you watching this NBA coaching carousel? It's absolutely bonkers! While other teams are locking in their leaders, the Dallas Mavericks are still out here searching, and time is absolutely ticking down. They're one of only two teams left with a coaching vacancy in the entire league, and with the NBA draft just over a week away, Mavs president Masai Ujiri is facing a serious countdown to make a move. The Orlando Magic just snagged former Mavs assistant Sean Sweeney, and the Bulls grabbed former Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter. That leaves Portland with a list of finalists, but Dallas is reportedly still just in the interview stage. Talk about playing catch-up!

The Hot Names and a Blast From the Past

So, who's in the mix for the Mavericks? Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori is a name buzzing everywhere, with interest from Chicago, Portland, and Dallas. He's clearly a popular guy this coaching cycle. But Nori isn't alone on the reported shortlist. We're also hearing about Houston assistant Royal Ivey, Toronto assistant Jama Mahlalela, and Boston's Tony Dobbins. Then there's a wild card: former NBA head coach Terry Stotts. This guy's a veteran, 68 years old, spent nearly a decade coaching the Blazers, and was recently an assistant with the Warriors. Get this, he even spent four years as an assistant in Dallas and played a role in their 2011 championship run! Could there be a reunion in the cards for Stotts and the Mavs? That would be a seriously unexpected twist!

The Clock Is Ticking For Dallas's Future

Here's the real kicker though: The trend lately has been for assistant head coaches to get their first shot at the big job. Just look at Boston's Joe Mazzulla, who won a championship and Coach of the Year after being elevated in 2023, or Charlotte's Charles Lee, or Denver's David Adelman, and Phoenix's Jordan Ott. Denver and Chicago followed that trend, so will Dallas? Whoever gets the gig will inherit a team with a promising young centerpiece in Cooper Flagg and a savvy veteran in Kyrie Irving. Mavs president Masai Ujiri has been vocal, saying he wants to see that duo on the court together next season. In fact, Ujiri and Flagg were both named to the inaugural TIME100 Sports list. If Ujiri sticks to his usual pattern for hiring coaches, he'll name Jason Kidd's successor within the next eight days, before the draft even starts. If not, this search could drag on until the end of June. And that would be a problem. NBA teams could already negotiate with their own upcoming free agents as of last Sunday. The Mavericks have four unrestricted free agents this season: Marvin Bagley III, Khris Middleton, Dwight Powell, and Brandon Williams. You know those guys, and their agents, are gonna want to know who the coach is before they decide to stick around, right? Official free agency for all other players kicks off on June 30 at 4 p.m. It would be genuinely shocking if the Mavericks' coaching search stretched out that long, but hey, maybe Ujiri is closer to making a move than it seems. Either way, the clock is absolutely screaming for the Mavs, and this isn't just about hiring a coach, it's about setting the tone for their whole damn season.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.