Dallas Mavericks team president Masai Ujiri has a decision to make with the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he will also have a say in who the 11th head coach in Mavericks history will be.
Monday morning came with a slight bump in the road, as it was reported that Tiago Splitter will be hired as the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Mavs had a clear path to get back one of their former assistants, but that blew up in their face a few weeks ago.
With former Mavs assistant Sean Sweeney ending his time in the NBA Finals with the San Antonio Spurs, he's set to take on the Orlando Magic job, getting a prime opportunity to coach a young Paolo Banchero and a bright Magic squad with plenty of great seasons ahead. With Splitter gone, it's not just options, but time is also running out for the Mavericks ahead of the NBA Draft.
Tiago Splitter update leaves the Mavericks' coaching search with options dwindling
Splitter was a name to watch for the Mavs earlier this offseason, as new ownership and hesitation from the Portland Trail Blazers proved Splitter was never a real candidate for a full-time head coaching job, at least not in Portland. But he had a case to take the Dallas job, as he took a Portland team that had no business being in the playoffs to the No. 7 seed.
It doesn't look like any college coaches will make the leap of faith to the NBA, as Michigan's Dusty May and Duke's Jon Scheyer will be staying put in their respective programs. It'd be a one-in-a-million opportunity for Scheyer to coach the best player he's had in his short Duke tenure, but he's set up for life with five-star recruits.
Time might be running out with another name crossed off, but there are still some enticing names on the board for the next Mavs head coach.
One of them is Micah Nori, an established assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who has playoff coaching experience. Sources have said the Mavs would want to have one of the NBA's rising assistants. That speaks to Nori, who's been a name on the market for the last two summers.
It looks like the Mavs will go with a current assistant, but if they want someone with tons of experience, Billy Donovan is a veteran coach on the market. If he's looking for a job, the Mavs may be the best option for him.
The Splitter news hurts, as it doesn't just narrow down a potential candidate, but the vast majority of fans want a head coach hired before the NBA Draft. It's time to act fast, and now.
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