Despite missing the playoffs by one Play-In Game, the Dallas Mavericks have been in a constant news cycle after winning the No. 1 overall pick in last month's NBA Draft Lottery. Getting the rights to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick has completely flipped the Mavericks' future and made them a must-watch team for years to come.
Adding Flagg doesn't just make the Mavericks a wiry defensive squad, but it also adds excitement, which is something Dallas has lacked since trading Luka Doncic at the trade deadline. With offseason rumors circulating about what moves they will make and who will end up where, Jason Kidd has been in constant rumors to be the next head coach of the New York Knicks.
After the Knicks shockingly fired Tom Thibideou after leading them to the Eastern Conference Finals, Jason Kidd has been a name on the Knicks' radar as a potential replacement. While Kidd might have all the reasons to leave Dallas for New York, the Mavericks just added a storied veteran coach to add to their assistant coaching depth.
Dallas brings Jay Triano aboard despite Kidd to Knicks rumblings
As reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Mavericks have added Jay Triano (subscription required) to their assistant coaching department. Triano has spent the previous three seasons under Mike Brown and the Sacramento Kings, where he played a pivotal part in their resurgence as a franchise.
Before spending time in an assistant role with the Kings, Triano made previous coaching stops with the Toronto Raptors and the Phoenix Suns, where he became the team's interim head coach after firing Earl Watson early in the 2017-18 NBA season.
Triano will no doubt bring depth to an already loaded coaching staff and likely will replace Alex Jenson's spot, who left the Mavericks to become the head coach at the University of Utah halfway through the season. What's even more interesting is that the Mavericks added Triano despite the rumors of the Knicks wanting Kidd to become their next head coach.
While Kidd to the Knicks hasn't officially been shot down by Nico Harrison and the Mavericks, adding Triano to the bench is probably a good indicator of where Kidd is when it comes to his future. With Kidd possibly on board with the Mavs next season, he may be the best coach to develop Flagg into the defensive-minded two-way star he can become.
It's unclear what Triano's role will be, but with Flagg soon joining the roster, the Mavericks will need any developmental coach they can get their hands on. Flagg has the potential to be the face of the franchise and even the face of the league one day in the future, and developing while also building around him should be priority No. 1 for Dallas.
Adding a coach with limited head coaching experience at the pro level may not seem like a perfect move for the Mavericks, but Kidd has a knack for developing coaches and getting them promoted to better jobs. Triano may just be a hire to entice Kidd to stay, but his addition will hopefully be a splash in Dallas.
