The hottest gig in the NBA has opened up: The head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. That's after Jason Kidd and the Mavericks mutually parted ways after five seasons. But the Mavericks may be able to kill two birds with one stone by solving the Portland Trail Blazers' biggest concern.
Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter has plenty of uncertainty regarding his future with Portland. After taking over as HC early in the season, Splitter led his team to the No. 7 seed in the West.
Sure, they got knocked off in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs thanks to a 7-foot-5 alien called Victor Wembanyama, but Portland wasn't supposed to be where they were. He helped develop Deni Avdija into one of the most improved players, and he's a hot name in coaching.
Mavericks have every reason to go after Tiago Splitter as their next head coach
Not only would Splitter be the perfect coach, as one of the hottest names on the market, but he also has ties to the Mavericks.
Mavericks' general manager Mike Schmitz has seen firsthand what Splitter can do. Before Dallas, Schmitz was the assistant GM for Portland and saw Splitter coach Portland in the 2025-26 season. New team president Masai Ujiri and Schmitz will be working together, and Splitter should definitely get a look in the new HC search.
Splitter had a remarkable season coaching the Trail Blazers, but it's unclear if he will be back next season. Portland fans should be begging for him to become the full-time coach, but there hasn't been enough clarity. What's also working against Splitter's favor is new Portland ownership and a league-wide search, which opens the door for Ujiri and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont to pull the trigger.
The Mavs should still have their eye on San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney, as Sweeney coached under Kidd for four seasons. Sweeney has done a phenomenal job coaching Wembanyama through his first Defensive Player of the Year award, and that should be at the top of his resume if he gets an interview with the Mavs this offseason.
There's also Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, but the chances of him becoming the Mavs head coach are slim, as the Duke basketball job is extremely demanding, and Scheyer has only been at Duke for four seasons. If he's trying to follow in the steps of the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, he's got miles to go.
If there's a perfect time to abandon the Duke job and reunite with Cooper Flagg in the NBA, it's now, but Mavs fans shouldn't get their hopes too high.
Splitter is in the corner, waving his hand and looking for a job, and since he already has a relationship with Schmitz, it's a perfect storm for Splitter to become the Mavs head man.
Add us as a preferred source on Google