Jared Dudley to coach Dallas Mavericks’ summer league team

Jared Dudley will coach the Dallas Mavericks’ summer league team this offseason, sources tell Bleacher Report.

Dudley is in his second season as an assistant for the Mavericks, following a stint as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers. Dudley, a 14-year NBA veteran, is intent on adding experience in the hopes of one day being a head coach for a NBA team.

Dudley was set to become a top assistant for Kenny Atkinson in Charlotte before Atkinson turned down the job last summer.

Last year, Mavericks assistant Greg St. Jean stepped aside from head coaching duties in summer league, and Dudley stepped in (along with Texas Legends coach George Galanopoulos) to lead the team. Things didn’t go well, unfortunately.

The summer league Mavericks got blown out by almost 30 points in Dudley’s coaching debut, and it didn’t get much better going forward. Dallas finished summer league 0-5. But maybe with some experience under his belt, Dudley can lead the Mavericks to a better record in some summer exhibition games.

Dudley draws on his experience of playing with some of the best players in the game, and using that experience to help communicate better with players on the Mavericks. He talked about that with Mavericks reporter Isaac Harris last year:

“You take a little bit of everything,” Dudley said. “I think what will separate me from a lot of these coaches is the communication. If I can look LeBron in the face and tell him he’s messing up and play better and call him out, then I can call anyone out. There is a certain way you must do it. It is a unique thing not all coaches have. I have hung out with 19-year-old Giannis, 20-year-old Booker…Nash 38, Shaq 37. I have range on how to talk to someone.”

It’s unfortunate to be thinking about the offseason so soon, but it’ll be fun to see Dudley coach a full summer league session.