Mavericks' potential next coach makes too much sense based on Masai Ujiri's past

After firing Jason Kidd, the Dallas Mavericks and new team president Masai Ujiri are on the hunt for a new head coach, and given Ujiri had a former great partnership with current Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, Ujiri could target Nurse to be the next coach of the Mavericks.

The 76ers seemed to make it clear they have no intention of letting go of Nurse following the firing of former President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, but a new lead executive in Philadelphia could always reverse course and try to find a new coach, just as Ujiri recently did with Kidd in Dallas. With the 76ers' management up in the air at this point, it can't be discounted that this is a possibility, as Patrick Dumont had high praise for Kidd just weeks before he was let go.

Ujiri could target Nick Nurse to be Dallas' next coach

Nurse won a championship with the Toronto Raptors under Ujiri in his first season as head coach there, and Nurse worked as an assistant coach with the Raptors starting the same year that Ujiri joined them in 2013. Of course, Ujiri ultimately fired Nurse in 2023 following a 41-41 season in 2022-23, but who knows how long their partnership could've lasted had Kawhi Leonard not left in 2019 free agency, as Leonard's departure prevented Toronto from being a multi-year contender at the time.

Nurse is a basketball savant and a great defensive coach, but it should be noted that he tends to run his starters into the ground, especially in the playoffs. 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey led the league in minutes last season under Nurse, and it wouldn't be surprising if Cooper Flagg drew a similar fate in Dallas should Nurse be hired.

If Nurse isn't dismissed by the 76ers this offseason, the Mavericks could always opt to make a trade for him by involving either their 30th or 48th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, even though it is extremely rare for coaches to be traded in the modern NBA.

Nurse would be a better hire than most candidates out there currently

This could prove to be a risky proposition, but it's hard to argue Nurse's acumen doesn't beat out practically all of the head coach candidates on the market, and he'd bring a winning culture and championship experience to Dallas.

Ujiri may have let go of Nurse in 2023, but it's undeniable that they didn't have a great working relationship with each other. An executive and coach pairing don't win a championship together by accident, and there's no doubting that Nurse's lack of playoff success in recent years can be attributed to factors outside of his control, such as injuries and roster construction.

Nurse wouldn't present as the type of coach Dallas would hire for a rebuild, as he's the type of coach that would want to take the Mavericks as far into the playoffs as he could next season. He has a ton of experience with veteran stars and is the type of coaching hire that would further signify that Kyrie Irving would be staying in Dallas for next season.

The Mavericks may not be able to get Nurse from Philadelphia, but not mentioning him as a candidate would be a disservice given the current reconstruction inside the 76ers' front office, as well as the success he's had with Ujiri.

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