Dallas Mavericks: J.J. Barea plans to rejoin team in part-time role

The Dallas Mavericks are still rounding out their coaching staff. They hired Jason Kidd as head coach following Rick Carlisle’s departure. The Mavs revamped the staff by adding Igor Kokoskov, Sean Sweeney, Greg St. Jean, and most recently Kristi Toliver. They are still looking for the final pieces.

News broke last week that Mavericks legend J.J. Barea would be rejoining the organization, but his role was not yet defined. Fans were hoping it would be on the coaching staff, but that does not appear to be the case.

Barea sat down for an interview with Chente Ydrach where he discussed his role with the Mavericks next season. Nothing is official yet, but let us take a closer look at what the 37-year-old had to say.

J.J. Barea plans to return to Dallas Mavericks in part-time role

Fans can see a clip from the interview below. It is in Spanish, but YouTube offers auto-generated English subtitles that fans can turn on if looking to see what Barea is saying.

The Mavericks legend talks about joining the organization for a few years in a part-time role. Barea will be a part-time player development coach and scout in order to spend more time with his family. He notes it is a chance to gain experience before eventually jumping into coaching full-time.

Barea is still playing his native Puerto Rico and plans to finish out the season. He notes that the special experience of being able to play in front of his family, friends, and countrymen.

Barea only being around the Mavs part-time could be a significant blow. He played a key role in the Mavs 2011 championship and has strong relationships with many of the current players. Barea’s leadership, presence, and trust from his former teammates could have helped the new coaching staff in the transition. Barea has strong bonds with both Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, and he could have helped improve their on-court relationship.

The Dallas Mavericks are excited that J.J. Barea will be rejoining the organization even if it is only in a part-time role. He will help the team this season. Hopefully, Barea is back on the Mavs bench full-time in the years ahead. Stay tuned for more on his new role and the Dallas Mavericks at The Smoking Cuban.