Dallas Mavericks land Igor Kokoskov as assistant coach

The Dallas Mavericks made massive front office changes for the first time in more than a decade. General manager and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson was fired after 24 years in Dallas. The following day, head coach Rick Carlisle resigned his post of 13 years. Nelson and Carlisle were two key figures in the Mavericks 2011 championship. It left owner Mark Cuban with two massive hires to make before the offseason transactions got underway.

The Mavs moved quickly to sign Nico Harrison to replace Nelson and secure Jason Kidd as their next head coach. Dallas ushered in a new era with the signings. Cuban still has the final say, but the front office and decision-making will look different.

Kidd is hiring a new coaching staff. Mike Weinar and Jenny Boucek departed to join Carlisle in Indiana. Lead assistant Jamahl Mosley became the head coach of the Orlando Magic. J-Kidd has added Sean Sweeney and Greg St. Jean to his staff, but the Mavs are nearing a deal for a former NBA head coach to join their bench.

Dallas Mavericks to add Igor Kokoskov as an assistant coach

It was rumored that the Mavs were chasing Kokoskov, but Stein broke the news of the deal coming together on July 17.

The Mavericks likely had to buy out his contract with Fenerbahce to secure his services. Kokoskov has plenty of NBA experience. He was the Phoenix Suns head coach for one season. He has been an assistant with seven different franchises since 2000.

Koksokov also coached Luka Doncic and the Slovenia National Team to a championship in EuroBasket 2017. The 49-year-old coach has a positive relationship with the Dallas Mavericks superstar, and he will look to build on that next season.

Jason Kidd and the Mavs are working hard to finalize his coaching staff before the offseason picks up. The NBA Draft takes place on July 29 with free agency opening on Aug. 2. Expect the Dallas Mavericks to be active in the weeks ahead as they attempt to improve the roster around their 22-year-old superstar. Check back to The Smoking Cuban daily for all the latest.