Mavericks have perfect opportunity to sabotage Lakers’ plans with JJ Redick

The Dallas Mavericks are focused on this next offseason after an exciting journey to the NBA Finals.

If they can improve this summer, Dallas will be a strong contender to return to the Finals in the very

tough Western Conference the following season. The Mavericks will most likely try to strengthen

their roster in the NBA Draft this year, as Dallas will pick 58th this coming Thursday and may even

make a trade throughout the process.

Since arriving in Dallas in 2021, President of Basketball Operations Nico Harrison has made it a

priority to improve through all means possible in the NBA transaction game, since the Mavericks are

no longer a team that just relies on free agency to bolster their squad. The Mavericks are still working

to improve inside the margins in this post-season where the season is finished and the NBA Draft is

still a ways off, even if the greatest surprises in terms of squad changes are still to come.

Organizations throughout the league are rapidly filling open head coaching positions; Dallas is

fortunate not to be dealing with this issue as Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont recently extended

contracts for both Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Though each of the new head coaches in the league has his or her own preferences for how to

assemble his or her assistant coaching staffs, some fans are curious as to whether one of Dallas’

assistant coaches may leave the organization to work with a former colleague.

In particular, it appears like Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley is being courted to become an

assistant for recently appointed Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick. Redick and Dudley have a close

relationship dating back to their playing days together on the LA Clippers in the 2013–14 campaign.

However, Marc Stein reported that the Mavericks are “intent” on keeping Dudley from Los Angeles,

given how well-liked he is by the players and how much his in-game strategy has improved since

moving to Dallas. This was particularly evident during Dudley’s tenure as coach of Dallas’ Summer

League team last year.

The Mavericks would be devastated to lose Dudley to the Lakers of all teams, especially in light of the

rumor that Sean Sweeney, one of the Mavericks’ top assistant coaches, may be being interviewed by the Detroit Pistons for their open head coach post. Dudley would be a strong contender to succeed Sweeney as one of Dallas’ main coaches if Sweeney were to go this offseason. Dudley has earned this position by proving himself as a leader in the team’s locker room over the course of more than three seasons.