Overview
- Reporting on Tuesday identifies five known candidates for the Mavericks’ vacancy left by Jason Kidd: Micah Nori, Royal Ivey, Jama Mahlalela, Tony Dobbins and Terry Stotts.
- Multiple outlets say Micah Nori is a top candidate for both Dallas and Portland, creating direct competition between the two openings for the same coach.
- Nori has been an NBA assistant since 2009 with stops in Toronto, Sacramento, Denver, Detroit and Minnesota and served as Minnesota’s on-court leader during the 2024 playoffs when the head coach was injured.
- The other candidates bring varied backgrounds: Royal Ivey has NBA and international head-coaching experience, Jama Mahlalela has long ties to Toronto and Masai Ujiri, Tony Dobbins is a younger Celtics assistant, and Terry Stotts is a veteran former NBA head coach.
- The market remains fluid with recent moves by other teams affecting timing and access to candidates, and the Mavericks’ eventual choice will influence staff construction and the development plan for Dallas’s young core.