With Jared Dudley’s NBA playing career winding down, the veteran now appears ready to enter the coaching ranks as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks.
The team and Dudley are reportedly in advanced talks to bring the NBA veteran in as a member of its coaching staff.
With the Lakers no longer expected to bring him back as a player, as @ChrisBHaynes reported last week, Dallas has pursued Dudley to begin his coaching career in a prominent role on Jason Kidd’s staff.
Kidd and Dudley, of course, worked together in L.A. for the past two seasons. https://t.co/YmC5NevbFd— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 24, 2021
New Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was a Lakers assistant coach over the past two seasons and seems to have been impressed with Dudley’s ability to connect with his fellow teammates.
Dudley turned 36 last month and only saw action in 12 regular season games during the 2020-21 campaign.
The Lakers were apparently not looking to bring him back after signing him to a minimum deal for each of the past two seasons.
Dudley’s ability to adapt to new situations has been seemingly a constant during his 14 seasons in the NBA, as he has played for seven different teams.
Kidd’s hiring by the Mavericks was part of an overhaul for the franchise, which included bringing in a new president of basketball operations in Nico Harrison.
The Mavericks have been knocked out in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in each of the past two seasons, both times by the Los Angeles Clippers.
