Jason Kidd took a lot of stick for the Dallas Mavericks‘ failure to even reach the Play-In tournament this season. So much so, that more than a few Mavs fans out there have been calling for his head as they question Kidd's credibility as the squad's head coach.

Enter JJ Barea. The former Mavs guard, who was part of Dallas' iconic 2011 championship side, has now declared his intention to coach in the NBA. Moreover, the 38-year-old is also adamant that he wants to be in Dallas when he starts off his coaching career:

“Everybody that knows me know that my first option will always be with the Mavs,” Barea said, via Dwain Price of mavs.com. “I would love to be with the Mavs.

“But if that don’t work out, then I’ve got to look for another option and see what I can do. But my first option is to be with the Mavs.”

It isn't likely that Barea is going to get a head coaching gig without any experience. He will likely have to learn the ropes as an assistant or as part of a coaching staff. It is clear, however, that Barea wants to work for the Mavs, so perhaps for now, he can cut his teeth as part of Kidd's staff.

“I’ve got an agent now — a coaching agent – and I’ve had conversations with the Mavs,” Barea said. “The Mavs know I’m interested in coaching, and now the entire NBA knows, so I just started the conversations.

“I’m just learning things and studying the coaching ways, and when the opportunity comes I’ll be ready to go.”

JJ Barea spent a total of 11 seasons with the Mavs in two separate stints. He was an integral part of their historic 2011 title run alongside the great Dirk Nowitzki. JJ probably won't get the nod to be the Mavs' head coach next season, but it is clear that he's gunning for that post somewhere down the road.