Jamahl Mosley, who recently coached Luka Doncic as a Rick Carlisle assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, is going to be the next head coach of the Orlando Magic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that Mosley was in line to get this gig:
The Orlando Magic are closing in on Dallas Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley and he’s emerged as the strong frontrunner to become the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2021
Woj says Mosley's new deal is for four years.
When with the Mavs, Mosley was able to see how a star coach related to a superstar player. Orlando clearly sees value in that larger fact.
The Magic are certainly aware that Mosley had received Doncic's approval before the Mavs hired Jason Kidd as their new head coach:
Luka Doncic is a strong supporter of Mavs assistant coach Jamahl Mosley. “He’s got the things that are needed for a head coach," Doncic said after Mosely's one-game fill-in for a win over the Knicks this season. "He can be the head coach, for sure.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 17, 2021
The 42-year-old Mosley played professional basketball overseas for four years, from 2001 through 2005. He then worked with the Denver Nuggets for five seasons, two in the player development department and three seasons as an assistant coach. He then became an assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers — not during the LeBron James years, but directly in between Bron's first and second trips to Cleveland (2010-2014). He then gained an assistant head coaching job in Dallas under Carlisle in 2014 at the age of 35. His seven years of learning under one of the best coaches in the NBA give the Magic the feeling they have found the right guy.
The Magic represent the latest NBA team which — by all appearances — seems to be passing up the opportunity to make history and name Becky Hammon as its head coach. Controversies in Portland (Chauncey Billups) and with the Mavs (Jason Kidd) have highlighted the extent to which NBA teams are unwilling to look very deeply into the histories of head coaching candidates. That seems odd, but it is a reflection on the quality of owners and other lead administers in the Association.
With Jamahl Mosley becoming the head coach of the Orlando Magic, he will certainly be able to emphasize to players how he managed Luka Doncic. Orlando needs a boost as a franchise. It currently thinks Mosley is an answer to its unique set of problems.
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