There have been some major coaching changes when it comes to the world of basketball. The Magic, Pelicans, and Mavericks have all made major moves.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic decided to fire Jamahl Mosley right after they lost the first-round playoff matchup to the Detroit Pistons, blowing a 3-1 lead in the process. Now they are searching for a new head coach to fill his shoes.
“We’re grateful to Jamahl for all he’s done for the Orlando Magic,” team president Jeff Weltman said via release. “We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it’s time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best.”
They will have a hard time finding someone like Mosley. During his five seasons with the Magic, he led them to the playoffs in the last three seasons, won two division titles, and three consecutive winning seasons. They were also top three in defense in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Truth to be told, the issue may not have been Mosley. His star players weren’t available on a consistent basis. Paolo Banchero played in just 25 games during the 2024-25 season, Jalen Suggs played in 92 regular-season games over the past two seasons, and Franz Wagner missed 70 over the past two seasons.
It’ll be interesting to see where they decide to go from here. Mosley was a very good coach, elevating them to a consistent playoff team. Now they’re essentially starting from scratch with more questions than answers.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans fired coach Willie Green 12 games into the season in which they were 2-10. James Borrego stepped up and served as their interim coach for the remainder of the season. However, the end result was not ideal as they finished 26-56.
However, they were quickly able to find a replacement before the playoffs ended. They hired Jamahl Mosley after what executive vice president Joe Dumars called a thorough coaching search. They talked to Darvin Ham, Rajon Rondo, Steve Hetzel, Borrego, and Mosley.
Dumars said that Mosley “has consistently demonstrated an ability to develop young talent while establishing teams that compete with toughness, discipline, and togetherness. His teams reflect his coaching style through their defensive intensity, effort, preparation, and commitment to playing the right way. Those qualities reinforce the long-term stability of a winning culture.”
Essentially, Dumars and the Pelicans believe that they are in a similar position to what the Magic were in when Mosley started there. They’re hoping he’s able to take their 26-56 and turn them into a playoff team, like when he turned the 21-61 magic into a playoff team.
However, there is one major difference between these two situations. When Mosley took over in Orlando, they had all of their picks, which led to Wagner and Suggs in his first year and Banchero the year after. The Pelicans, on the other hand, don’t have a first-round pick this year, putting them behind the eight ball already.
It’ll be interesting to see where they go from here, as there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered with this Pelicans roster. Mosley will have his work cut out for him, turning them into a competent team.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks made one of the most shocking coaching moves of this offseason so far. New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri decided to fire Jason Kidd after five seasons with the team.
“Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” Ujiri said via release. “We are thankful for Jason’s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I’ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an important part of the Mavericks family.”
Kidd has four years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract after he was given an extension in 2024. Overall, he led the Mavericks to a 206-206 record, which included a Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals appearance.
It’s clear that Ujiri wants to build around his young budding superstar in Cooper Flagg. However, the coaching pool is relatively barren this year. It’ll be interesting to see who Ujiri decides to bring in and what their relationship with Flagg is going to be like.
Leave a Reply