Dusty May's coaching staff just got a major upgrade with journeyman NBA champion

The Dallas Mavericks' rebuild around Cooper Flagg keeps adding experienced voices to the bench, and the latest hire brings something a young roster desperately needs. 

Dallas is deep into an overhaul that started with Masai Ujiri taking over as president and continued with Dusty May's hire off the Michigan Wolverines’ national title run. May has already stacked his staff with former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green as lead assistant, Memphis Grizzlies alum Joe Boylan running Summer League duties, and holdover player-development coach Phil Handy staying on to continue his work with Kyrie Irving. 

Now, May has added another respected name: 16-year NBA veteran Garrett Temple, who's stepping directly off the court and onto the sideline. NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed the move Saturday, reporting that Temple, repped by agent Dan Eveloff of Priority Sports, has accepted May's pitch to retire from playing and join the Dallas staff. 

Temple's playing career is the definition of journeyman. He went undrafted out of LSU in 2009 but carved out a 16-season career. He played 793 games across 12 franchises, spending his last three seasons in Toronto. He was never a featured scorer, but he earned a reputation as a highly respected locker room leader and versatile defender.

He was never a featured scorer, but his defensive versatility, professionalism, and steady presence made him one of the league's most trusted vets wherever he landed, the kind of reputation that follows a guy from locker room to locker room even as his role shrank in recent seasons.

That background fits exactly what May wanted alongside Green. With Flagg anchoring the roster, Dallas needs experienced voices to mold daily habits. Transitioning to coaching is a natural progression for Temple, who primarily served as a culture mentor while logging limited games since 2022. Adding his credibility rounds out a staff built to guide Dallas' next era.

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