Stein: James Borrego and Jeff Hornacek among ‘top targets’ to fill Mavs’ assistant coach vacancy

Head coach Jason Kidd has a chair to fill with assistant coach Greg St. Jean leaving the Dallas Mavericks’ bench. Filling that vacancy with a veteran coach is one of the many concerns the organization must address this off-season.

Luckily for Dallas, many qualified coaches are available to choose from. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Kidd and the Mavericks’ front office already have some candidates in mind who they’d like to interview for the open position.

Among the team’s likely “top targets” to replace St. Jean are former head coaches James Borrego and Jeff Hornacek, Stein writes on Substack. Borrego served as interim head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2015 and head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-2022. Hornacek previously coached the Phoenix Suns (2013-2016) and New York Knicks (2016-2018).

Borrego has a 148-183 record as a head coach. Before assuming responsibilities in the big chair, he cut his teeth under Greg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, where he served as an assistant from 2033-2010 and 2015-2018. Borrego won two championships with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007. He also has assistant coaching stops in New Orleans and Orlando.

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In his head coaching stints with the Suns and Knicks, Hornacek amassed an overall record of 161-216. Most recently, he was an assistant on Stephen Silas’ staff with the Houston Rockets from 2020-2022. He was also an assistant with the Utah Jazz from 2011-2013.

Stein also name-drops Frank Vogel, Terry Stotts, and the aforementioned Silas. Stotts and Silas formerly served as assistants with the Mavericks. A reunion with Vogel, who hired Kidd as part of his championship staff with the Los Angeles Lakers, also seems natural. However, it likely won’t come to pass as “it’s believed that Vogel is currently focused on a return at the head coach level,” Stein writes.

Aside from the coaches Stein mentions, there are others available. Kenny Atkinson, Sam Cassell, Mike D’Antoni, Adrian Griffin, Dave Joerger, Charles Lee, Josh Longstaff, Nate McMillan, Chris Quinn, and Earl Watson could garner attention this summer from teams around the league.

After a disappointing season in which the Mavericks never established a sense of consistency or accountability, a veteran presence on Kidd’s staff could provide some stability that the team desperately needs.