Mavericks must brace for devastating coaching loss with Cooper Flagg on the way

Over two weeks ago, the Dallas Mavericks' fortune completely flipped when they won the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes at the NBA's Draft Lottery. Flagg didn't just immediately bring buzz back to the Mavericks, but his addition could make Dallas one of the most intriguing teams in the league next season.

While Flagg has the highest buzz of any rookie this season, the Mavericks still need to retool if they wish to stay competitive with their newfound big three. With Kyrie Irving likely sidelined for the majority of next year, the Mavs are in a desperate search for a guard who cannot only start while Irving rehabs from injury but can play alongside him when he eventually makes a return to the hardwood.

With a lot of focus going to the roster, the Mavericks may also be gearing up for a major coaching departure off the bench, with Sean Sweeney potentially landing a head coaching job with the Phoenix Suns.

Sweeney likely makes final cut as Suns zero in on next head coach

As reported last week, Sean Sweeney advanced to the second stage of Phoenix's head coaching candidacy. While this could go down as a loss for the Mavericks, Sweeney's name has gained plenty of traction over the last few years when it comes to teams needing to fill their head coaching positions.

With Sweeney being a popular name in the coaching carousel over the last few seasons, it was only a matter of time before the longtime Dallas assistant made himself a head coach. While it is bittersweet, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Sweeney is well-liked (subscription required) by Phoenix, and according to the new intel, he has likely now emerged as a top-three candidate for the Suns coaching job.

"The Suns are expected to narrow their list of coaching candidates to three or so finalists as this week unfolds," Stein wrote. "There have been rumbles in coaching circles that both Miami's Chris Quinn and Dallas' Sean Sweeney have made strong impressions in the interview process..."

Assuming Sweeney does depart for the Suns' coaching job, it would leave the Mavericks with two assistant coaching positions to fill this offseason after Alex Jenson accepted the coaching job at the University of Utah for their men's basketball team.

While this might be a bittersweet moment for Mavericks fans, this may be the perfect time for Jason Kidd to retool around himself as the Flagg era begins in Dallas. If Kidd can eventually bring in some names who are close to Flagg or who understand Flagg's game, it could create a monster coaching group in Dallas, as they have had in years past.

In addition to Sweeney's time spent alongside Kidd, his defensive expertise will leave Dallas in search of another defensive ace on the coaching staff. Kidd has always been known as a defensive-minded coach, but without Sweeney, he could lose some of his identity.

While the Flagg era has yet to begin in Dallas, losing Sweeney would no doubt take a hit to some of the hype Flagg has brought back to Dallas. Phoenix has had plenty of problems with their roster and play on the floor as of late, so Sweeney will have his work cut out for him, but he may be the perfect young coach to build a winning culture in Phoenix.