The Dallas Mavericks reportedly could soon kick the tires and see if one of the veteran NBA head coaches that are part of the ABC NBA broadcast team about joining Jason Kidd’s coaching staff.
This is going to be a very interesting summer for the Dallas Mavericks. After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, they were a massive disappointment this season. They struggled to stay over .500 for much of the season, and after making a blockbuster deadline deal for Kyrie Irving in February, the team actually played worst with the future Hall-of-Famer than without.
Also Read: NBA games today – Get watch times and odds for the next NBA Finals game
After being close to reaching the NBA Finals in 2022, the Dallas Mavericks didn’t even reach the playoffs in 2023. It is why this summer is so big for the team. They must try and re-sign Irving so that trade wasn’t a waste, and see what big moves they can make despite serious limitations in their salary cap.
However, it seems that the organization has identified something other than the roster as an area where changes could be key in turning things around next season. And that is in their coaching staff. Head coach Jason Kidd isn’t going anywhere but clearly, he believes he needs help managing this Mavericks team.
Dallas Mavericks interested in Jeff Van Gundy?
On Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Dallas actually had an interest in Frank Vogel before he landed the top job with the Phoenix Suns. They are also looking at former Knicks and Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek as a possible addition to Kidd’s staff. However, there is another name they could reach out to that might surprise some.
“I’m also told that they plan to gauge Jeff Van Gundy’s interest in a potential return to the bench as an aide to Kidd after 15-plus years in broadcasting. The ESPN analyst is, of course, in the midst of working the NBA Finals.”
– Marc Stein
Van Gundy has done some head coaching and assistant coaching work for USA Basketball in recent years but no work in the NBA since his tenure with the Houston Rockets ended nearly two decades ago. Making the interest quite surprising, but it shows just how respected Van Gundy is in the industry.