Dallas Mavericks rumors: Jared Dudley set to join as assistant coach

The Dallas Mavericks did not undergo massive roster changes, but their coaching staff will look completely different for the first time in more than a decade. Rick Carlisle resigned after 13 seasons as head coach and was replaced by Jason Kidd. The Hall of Fame point guard has hired nearly an entire new staff to join him on the bench.

The Mavs have brought in Igor Kokoskov, Sean Sweeney, Greg St. Jean, and most recently Kristi Tolliver as assistants. Kidd has talked about having a staff focused on player development and improvement. Darrell Armstrong will return from Carlisle’s staff. The Mavs also retained God Shammgod and Peter Patton as player development coaches.

The latest coaching rumor dropped on Aug. 24 when Marc Stein noted the Mavs are close to adding Jared Dudley to their coaching staff. The 36-year-old played last season and brings a ton of experience to Dallas. Here is a closer look at what Dudley might add.

Rumors: Dallas Mavericks set to add Jared Dudley as assistant coach

Dudley won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He played on six playoff teams in his 14 seasons in the NBA. The 6’6 wing was a first-round pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and is no stranger to playing in massive games.

Dudley played under Jason Kidd when he was head coach in Milwaukee in the 2014-2015 season and for the last two seasons in Los Angeles when Kidd was an assistant. The two have known each other for years and should have a strong working relationship. Dudley recently defended Kidd’s coaching ability when the new book Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP came out. See his Tweet below.

Dudley was a fantastic leader for the Lakers, even in a diminished playing role. Coach Frank Vogel raved about it on several occasions.

Jared Dudley gives the Dallas Mavericks another former player to help keep the locker room on the same page. They missed that veteran presence last season after J.J. Barea was let go during training camp. Dudley won’t be on the floor, but he can bring that from his assistant coaching role this season. Barea is also back with the team in a player development role.

It appears the Mavs’ coaching staff is set. Training camp begins on Sept. 28, and the expectations are building. Fans will not want to miss a second of the action, so keep checking back to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest.