The Dallas Mavericks announced the departure of head coach Jason Kidd on Tuesday, making a shocking offseason decision that few saw coming. New President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri is cleaning house of all the major parties involved in the Luka Doncic trade from February 2025, with the franchise having a genuine chance of enjoying a new era under Ujiri’s leadership.
Ujiri was asked about coach Kidd during his introductory press conference, where he tactfully refused to confirm if Kidd would remain in his role for the 2026-27 NBA season. With a spotty history between them, Ujiri made the first move, as Dallas now becomes the best destination for any head coaching candidates this offseason.
Kidd leaves the Mavericks after five seasons with only two Playoff appearances. Those two Playoff appearances were in the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, but a .500 (205-205) record over five seasons ensured his time in Dallas came to an end under new leadership.
Let’s take a look at four potential head coaching candidates the Mavericks can look into hiring this summer to lead the franchise in the Cooper Flagg era with Ujiri at the helm.
1. Sean Sweeney
San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is expected to be an in-demand name for head coaching roles around the NBA this summer, although he’s currently focused on ensuring the Spurs emerge victorious in their quest for the 2026 NBA Championship. Sweeney has been a serial winner as an assistant coach in the NBA, getting his start with coach Kidd on the Brooklyn Nets in 2013, also joining Kidd’s staff on the Milwaukee Bucks.
He’d also enjoy a three-year stint as an assistant on the Detroit Pistons before rejoining Kidd for four years on the Mavericks from 2021-24. His familiarity with the franchise, albeit in its older form, could be an advantage for the franchise. Players who have come through the Mavericks have had good things to say about Sweeney, which is in part why he was hired by the Spurs as an associate head coach behind rookie head coach Mitch Johnson in 2024-25.
While Sweeney has been linked to coaching roles in Chicago and New Orleans, he would likely delay all those talks until he knows where he stands with the Mavericks. The chance to lead a franchise with clear win-now intentions and a superstar like Flagg will make this a very enticing role, and Sweeney could be perfect for it as a solid game-manager and tactician.
2. Tiago Splitter
Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter stunned everyone by leading the franchise to a 42-40 season record after having to take over as head coach due to Chauncey Billups’ federal gambling investigation. While the Blazers were eliminated in the first round, reaching that stage was a huge achievement in a competitive West, where teams like the Clippers and Warriors also failed to make it. He maximized his pieces and oversaw a breakout season for Deni Avdija, with the franchise having a bright future.
He’s surprisingly not expected to earn the Blazers job permanently, also because the Blazers might be unwilling to pay Splitter a competitive salary. This should make Splitter one of the best names to become a head coach in the summer, although the Mavericks job might be too daunting for somebody with limited coaching experience, as he does.
His development of Avdija is a great sign of how he could maximize Flagg going forward, with Splitter’s movement-heavy offense, with a clear paint-or-three approach, could maximize Dallas’ piece very well.
Splitter would have a commanding voice as a former NBA player and champion, which is something the Mavericks also valued in Kidd. While Splitter doesn’t have the same name value, he could be a low-floor, high-ceiling appointment as head coach who could grow alongside this young Mavericks core and perfect their systems over a multi-year plan. Splitter has proven that he can maximize a roster to make a playoff run, so it might be enough of a reason to entrust him with this role.
3. Frank Vogel
Jason Kidd’s lead assistant on the Mavericks over the last season was former NBA Championship-winning head coach Frank Vogel. Kidd was ironically an assistant on Vogel’s 2019-20 Lakers squad, with the pair reuniting in swapped roles at the start of last season because of Sweeney’s departure to San Antonio.
Vogel is one of the most respected defensive coaches in the NBA, creating the backbone of multiple NBA-leading defenses like his Indiana Pacers or the title-winning Lakers in 2020. Even in a tanking season, the Mavericks had a 115.5 defensive rating. This was largely due to Vogel’s presence. He has a familiarity with the roster and is a veteran NBA head coach who’s overseen multiple Playoff-caliber teams to success.
Vogel would be the most stable option, as it helps the Mavericks maintain continuity between their coaching staff from last season and now. However, if Ujiri intends to assemble an entirely new coaching staff, Vogel will likely not be considered. Promoting him to head coach would be the safest option, but it doesn’t look like the Mavericks are looking to make a safe hire here.
4. Micah Nori
Micah Nori of the Minnesota Timberwolves has been one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NBA for multiple seasons. He’s considered one of the key reasons behind the Timberwolves’ ability to consistently break down the Denver Nuggets, also serving as an assistant on the Nuggets earlier in his career during Nikola Jokic’s early years.
Nori also served as an assistant alongside Sweeney on Dwayne Casey’s staff on the Pistons. Nori has been considered a head coaching candidate for multiple seasons, and the Mavericks might be the perfect role for him. Nori is great at potentially the two biggest things the Mavericks need from their next head coach. He’s an X-and-O’s expert and has a reputation as a strong player-manager.
Nori’s strengths will be tested as he’ll be tasked with creating a game plan that helps the Mavericks return to the NBA Playoffs while also prioritizing Flagg’s development into a genuine franchise cornerstone. He’ll also have to manage reintegrating Kyrie Irving into the lineup after a season-long absence with a torn ACL.
There are a lot of challenges for the new Mavericks head coach, and Nori might be among the best candidates to handle all of that and have success at the same time, despite being a rookie head coach.
