8 Veteran coach options the Dallas Mavericks could add to their bench

2. Terry Stotts

Stotts was a Mavericks assistant under Rick Carlisle from 2008 to 2012, including being a key piece of the team’s 2011 championship. He was the offensive coordinator in Dallas, and that run with Dirk Nowitzki propelled Stotts into the head coaching gig with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Stotts had a decade-long professional playing career mostly in Europe before becoming a coach. He spent nine years as an assistant in the NBA before getting a crack to be the Hawks’ head coach. Stotts lasted less than two full seasons and won just 52 of his 137 games at the helm. He was an assistant with Golden State for one year before getting a second chance as a head coach, but his time in Milwaukee lasted just two years too.

Stotts spent nine seasons leading the Blazers as he was responsible for making Damian Lillard a superstar. They both arrived in 2012 and quickly formed a strong partnership. Portland reach the conference finals in 2019 and made eight straight playoff appearances with Stotts in charge.

Terry Stotts has been out of the NBA since 2021, so would the 65-year-old consider coming back to Dallas? He knows Jason Kidd well as the Hall of Famer was the Mavericks' starting point guard for Stotts’ entire tenure in Dallas. Could they reunite on the bench? It is worth guaging the veteran coach's interest.