Jon Scheyer leaving Duke for Dallas would have been a much bigger gamble than Dusty May's call

The Dallas Mavericks didn't settle for Dusty May. Many don't know that they wanted Jon Scheyer first. 

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Masai Ujiri's front office made multiple runs at the Duke Blue Devils' head coach before eventually pivoting to May. 

"Masai Ujiri and the Mavericks really wanted a college coach," Windhorst said on First Take, per ON3. "They tried multiple times, from what I am told, to talk Jon Scheyer into coming to Dallas. They made multiple runs." 

However, Scheyer said no every time. In the vacuum, May said yes, and when you compare the two situations side by side, it's hard to argue that either man made the wrong call.

The Mavericks' interest in Scheyer was on the table, as he coached Cooper Flagg during his lone college season at Duke. The idea of reuniting that pairing in the NBA was genuinely compelling because President Ujiri is making his entire plan for the next season around the 19-year-old. The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported that Scheyer had "major interest" in the position but ultimately elected to stay with the Blue Devils.

The choice came down to what Scheyer would leave behind. As basketball analyst Jeff Goodman noted, “If Scheyer had done it, he's leaving Duke, his alma mater, the best job in the country. Michigan is right now a top-five job in the country. They've got resources, the brand, all that. But it's not like he's leaving his alma mater, it's not like he couldn't come back in two years if it doesn't work in Dallas and get another top-ten job."

Duke is the best job in college basketball. It has the best recruiting, the most resources, and the biggest brand. Scheyer played there, assisted Mike Krzyzewski, and took over in 2022. Leaving his alma mater before winning a title, especially after two tough tournament exits, meant leaving unfinished business. 

Meanwhile, May had a much safer bet. Michigan is a great program, but May is not tied to it forever. NBA teams wanted him even before he won the 2026 national title in his second year there. If Dallas fires him, college programs will line up to hire a national champion with NBA experience. He had nothing to lose.

Ultimately, May took a high-upside risk with very little downside. Scheyer faced massive structural risk and chose to establish himself further at Duke first. Both coaches evaluated their leverage correctly.

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