With Jason Kidd out as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, the organization has a ginormous hole to fill and plenty of interviews coming in the next few days to fill the hottest job in the NBA: The next head coach of the Mavericks. One obvious name they have to look at is a familiar face, the San Antonio Spurs' associate head coach, Sean Sweeney.
Sweeney spent four seasons with the Mavs as Jason Kidd's assistant coach, including the Mavs' 2024 NBA Finals appearance. He's in his first season with the Spurs, and he's become a defensive mastermind. He's elevated Wembanyama's game defensively, as he's coming off his first (of possibly many) Defensive Player of the Year awards.
This is the perfect time for Sweeney to come back with many incentives, but the golden opportunity is the once-in-a-lifetime chance to coach Cooper Flagg.
Former Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney should come back to serve as the next Mavs HC
Sweeney has become one of the hottest names in the assistant coaching business, and with his head coaching stock rising like wildfire, it makes sense for him to go out to pursue a head coaching position.
Not only is the Mavs' head coaching job the most intriguing, but it presents Sweeney with an opportunity to coach one of the rising names in the NBA, in Flagg. He also has a new president and new leadership at his disposal, so he doesn't need to worry about Nico Harrison breathing down his neck.
The only obstacle for the Mavs would be that the NBA has strict rules when interviewing coaches who are still coaching in the playoffs. It doesn't mean that the Mavs can't talk to Sweeney, but it would probably only be a virtual interview and then an in-person interview once the Spurs' season is done. The Spurs can also refuse an interview if they want, so they have the greater leverage here.
The Spurs also have Mitch Johnson and Sweeney working like a well-oiled machine, and while it would be fun to dream of Sweeney coming back to coach the Mavs, it'd be easy for San Antonio to hold back. New Mavs president Masai Ujiri has all kinds of connections around the league, and he's probably got Sweeney on his mind as we speak.
At the end of the day, the Spurs and Mavericks will have their differences, but it's the NBA, which means it's a business. Mavs fans back in the day will remember when Michael Finley became a Spur after a long stint with the Mavs.
It would add fuel to the fire of a historic rivalry. It would be a move that Spurs fans would hate, and Mavs fans would love.
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