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The Dallas Mavericks continue to make big changes, this time by firing Jason Kidd despite Kidd having four years left on his contract.
Team president Masai Ujiri arrived just a few weeks ago but is already putting his imprint on the team. The former Toronto Raptors executive is no stranger to winning and appears to want a fresh start as the Mavericks build around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, starting with this offseason.
Flagg makes Dallas' head coaching opening intriguing, since most teams do not have a potential franchise cornerstone ready and waiting. This hire will also say a lot about Ujiri's direction for the franchise and whether he wants to maximize the end of Irving's career while also developing Flagg.
There are many quality coaching candidates in the NBA, including those with much experience and others looking for a first head coaching job. Here's a look at the five best Mavericks coaching candidates.
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Mavericks best coaching candidates
1. Tiago Splitter
Splitter was dealt a difficult hand as the Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach in 2025-26, but he did extremely well, all things considered. Splitter led the Trail Blazers to 42 wins and the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, the first time the Blazers made the playoffs since 2021. The Trail Blazers aren't likely to bring Splitter back under new ownership, but he still showed he deserves a chance to be a head coach. New Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz worked for Portland from 2022-26 and saw firsthand the impact Splitter had last year.
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2. Sean Sweeney
Sweeney is in his first year as an assistant on the San Antonio Spurs coaching, helping the team make it back to the Western Conference Finals. Previously, Sweeney spent four years with the Mavericks as an assistant under Kidd, which included during the 2024 NBA Finals run.
As Sweeney has a connection with Dallas and is a top coaching candidate among young assistants, this pair is logical. The 41-year-old has worked his way up in the NBA as an assistant and would give the Mavericks a young coach to pair with Cooper Flagg, allowing the team to focus on the future.
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3. Micah Nori
Nori has been a candidate for a handful of jobs in the past and is another assistant coach due for a head coaching opportunity. The 52-year-old Nori has been with the Minnesota Timberwolves since 2021 but has been an assistant coach on five different teams since 2009.
Nori has a vague connection to Ujiri, as he worked under Dwane Casey with the Detroit Pistons after Casey worked under Ujiri for the Raptors. He would be another inexperienced hire who would signal the Mavericks' focus on development moving forward.
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4. Billy Donovan
Donovan is sought after on the coaching market after he and the Chicago Bulls agreed to part ways. While Donovan only made the playoffs once six seasons with Chicago, he made the playoffs every year he coached the Thunder and is still considered a strong win-now coach.
If the Mavericks want Donovan, they will have to compete with the Orlando Magic, who likely view Donovan as their top coaching candidate. Dallas would have to sell Donovan on being a win-now teams, which would mean Kyrie Irving is a big piece of the team's future.
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5. Frank Vogel
Vogel is a well-traveled veteran coach, as he's been the head coach for four different teams since 2010 and won the 2020 NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers. While Vogel's most recent stint with the Phoenix Suns ended after one year, he would provide the Mavericks stability as they enter a new era. Vogel was an assistant on Kidd's staff in 2025-26 and would give Dallas familiarity through major changes in the front office. The upside to hiring Vogel is likely not as appealing as that of some other candidates, making him more likely to stick around as an assistant.
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