The Dallas Mavericks are banking on championship experience and player development prowess as they continue to overhaul their coaching staff ahead of the 2025–26 NBA season.
Two high-profile assistants in Popeye Jones and Phil Handy have officially joined Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd’s bench, marking a significant shift for a team aiming to build on recent playoff success, according to NBA Insider Marc Stein.
Jones, a former Mavericks forward, returns to Dallas as the team’s No. 3 assistant after stints with the Nets, Pacers, Sixers, and, most recently, the Denver Nuggets, where he helped guide the team to a championship in 2023.
The former second-round pick is expected to play a large role in helping the Mavericks with defensive schemes and frontcourt development, leveraging his reputation for working with big men and improving rebounding.
Jones previously served as a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks from 2007 to 2010 and played alongside Kidd as a member of the team from 1994 to 1996.
Meanwhile, Handy, who is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s top player development coaches, comes to Dallas after previously winning titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors.
Kidd is reportedly loading the Mavericks’ coaching staff with colleagues with whom he has a prior rapport, as both he and Handy worked with the Lakers during their championship run in 2020.
These hires come as the Mavericks experienced significant shakeups with their coaching staff this offseason, with multiple coaches departing for bigger opportunities on other teams.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, assistant coaches Sean Sweeney and God Shammgod have each agreed to deals with opposing franchises to join their coaching staffs.
Sweeney, who spent a significant portion of his coaching career alongside Kidd, will depart from Dallas to join the San Antonio Spurs, with recent reports indicating that he would have preferred to remain in Dallas.
Shammgod is also set to leave Dallas and join the Orlando Magic’s coaching staff in a larger role.
Finally, the Mavericks are in danger of losing assistant coach Jared Dudley, who is set to meet with the Denver Nuggets about a potential staff role. However, no official confirmation of his decision has been released.