Masai Ujiri's past suggests Mavericks' coaching search is nearing a decision

The Dallas Mavericks have been without a coach for nearly a month now after parting ways with Jason Kidd on May 19, but if Masai Ujiri's past is any indication, the Mavericks could be hiring their next head coach before next Tuesday's NBA Draft. This would be a massive move, given that Dallas has only had 10 coaches in franchise history and two coaches since 2009, and the Mavericks could name their next coach in the next few days if Ujiri's past holds true.

Masai Ujiri likes to take his time before naming a head coach

His last two head-coaching hires as president of the Toronto Raptors, Nick Nurse and Darko Rajakovic, both happened before the NBA Draft. Their predecessors were fired on May 11, 2018 and April 21, 2023, respectively. Nurse was hired on June 18, 2018 while Rajakovic was hired on June 13, 2023.

He's not afraid to take his time to find the right head coach, as each of his last two hiring processes took over a month. The one-month anniversary of Kidd's departure is this Friday, meaning that Dallas could be hiring their next coach over the coming days if history repeats itself.

Dallas' coaching search has multiple intriguing candidates

The Mavericks have been linked to several top candidates, such as Micah Nori, Royal Ivey, and Terry Stotts, and Dallas could bring in one of these assistant coaches to run the show extremely soon.

Nori has built his legacy as Chris Finch's lead assistant in Minnesota, Ivey is known for his defensive expertise and player development, and Stotts has excellent experience, including being an assistant coach for Dallas when they won the NBA Finals in 2011. Each coach has a case for why Ujiri should hire them, but the clock is ticking if the Mavericks want to find their Kidd replacement before the draft.

Mavs would avoid a headache by hiring a coach sooner rather than later

Bringing in a new head coach before the draft ensures that Ujiri is on the same page as the new hire when it comes to the players they'd like to put around Cooper Flagg, and it would ensure that the front office and coaching staff is in lockstep as they retool the roster. Mavericks fans know why this matters, as Nico Harrison and Kidd were clearly not in sync on a couple of moves that Harrison made as general manager of the Mavs.

This resulted in players that Harrison prioritized in free agency or the trade market having far less significant roles than expected, leaving the players in an awkward position and fans wanting more. This is the last thing that Ujiri should want as he kicks off his journey running the Mavericks, as every move that he makes this summer will have major repercussions.

This is one of the most important offseasons in recent memory for Dallas, as Ujiri has the chance to build around a generational talent in Cooper Flagg, while also signing the young wing's second head coach to play for. Flagg has already dealt with many changes through his first year in the NBA, and Ujiri acing this signing and finding a quality hire should be a priority.

This hiring could happen in the blink of an eye, given how Ujiri has handled his past searches for a new head coach, and Mavericks fans are on the edge of their seats to see who the team hires.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow