Dallas Mavericks finalize coaching staff with hire of Hughes

The Dallas Mavericks have hired former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Eric Hughes, per Tim MacMahon. Hughes has spent the last four years in Philadelphia, the last three of which came under Doc Rivers.

Hughes was an assistant on Jason Kidd’s staff with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013, and reunited with Kidd in Milwaukee from 2014-2018. Hughes coached in college as well, spending time at Illinois State, Cal, and Washington.

Hughes is the final hire in what has been a year of change for the Mavericks’ coaching staff. Greg St. Jean, Quinten Crawford, and shooting coach Peter Patton have all departed. Dallas added ex-Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, Cavaliers assistant Josh Broghamer, and now Hughes. They added veteran coach Bryan Gates, who left for the 76ers two weeks later.

It’s promising that the Mavericks decided to shuffle so many spots alongside Kidd this offseason. Missing the playoffs with Luka Doncic, a top five player in the NBA, requires big changes, both on the roster and on the coaching staff. The Dallas front office recognized this and brought in some fresh voices with impressive experience.

The Mavericks could have used at least one assistant with head coaching experience. There were times last season when Kidd seemed out of his element—one could even say he was just watching the game. A coach like Jeff Van Gundy or Doc Rivers would have been a great addition to the staff, but it doesn’t seem like they were really available. Dallas instead went with coaches with strong development resumes, which makes sense considering the young players on their roster.