Dallas Mavericks to add Marko Milic to coaching staff: Will he warm up Luka Doncic?

The Dallas Mavericks have made some changes to their coaching staff this offseason. Igor Kokoskov left to join the Brooklyn Nets coaching staff under Steve Nash, which allowed Dallas to promote Greg St. Jean to the front of the bench and add former Lakers assistant Quinton Crawford to their staff, but head coach Jason Kidd was not done there.

Marc Stein broke the news that the Mavericks plan to add Marko Milic to their coaching staff on Aug. 9. The 45-year-old played two seasons in the NBA and over a decade in Europe before retiring from professional basketball in 2015.

Milic has previous relationships with both Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd. Will the former Suns' wing be the coach who warms up the Mavericks superstar next season?

Dallas Mavericks to add Marko Milic to coaching staff: Will he warm up Luka Doncic?

Milic is the first-ever Slovenian NBA player. He was drafted in the second round in 1997 by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Suns five months later. Milic played just 44 games over two seasons where he was teammates with Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.

Milic headed back to Europe after his stint in the NBA where he played for multiple teams, including Real Madrid. He was a three-time FIBA Euro-Star and five-time Slovenian League All-Star during his playing days.

The 45-year-old knows Doncic well as they are just two of 13 players from Slovenia to play in the NBA. Kokoskov was Luka’s go-to guy last season after Jamahl Mosley left to be the head coach of the Orlando Magic. That role is open for next season, and Milic is the early favorite to fill it.

Marko Milic was MVP in Slovenian League in 1997 and 2000. Doncic was not born until 1999, so he likely missed Milic’s greatness on the court, but the 45-year-old is certainly a legend in his home country. Stay tuned to see if he takes over Luka’s gameday warmup next season. Either way, fans should expect the duo to spend plenty of time together working on Doncic’s game.