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Grizzlies Looking to Acquire Top Dallas Mavericks Coach

The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly interested in one of the Mavericks' coaches to sit behind Tuomas Iisalo
Matt Guzman|
Feb 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, center, reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Feb 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, center, reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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Memphis GrizzliesDallas Mavericks

Fresh off the first blockbuster trade of the offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies might be looking to refresh their coaching staff behind newly named head coach Tuomas Iisalo.

Memphis sent Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic Sunday morning in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap. Now, it's targeting several names to fill a vacancy as Iisalo's top assistant.

"Former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley and Magic assistant coach Dale Osbourne are still in contention for the No. 1 seat on Tuomas Iisalo's bench in Memphis," Marc Stein, citing league sources, wrote in his recent Substack.

Iisalo's role in Memphis had been written on the wall even before he was named Taylor Jenkins' successor. In the offseason preceding Jenkins' dismissal, Iisalo was hired by the Grizzlies to serve as the lead assistant without Jenkins having met him. Soon after, Jenkins was pressured to fire the rest of his coaching staff before being ousted himself.

Now, the Grizzlies have made clear what they're hoping for behind Iisalo.

"The Grizzlies are said to be looking for a top aide to Iisalo who can forge a strong connection with Morant," Stein wrote.

This, Memphis fell in four games to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. With Morant still in control of the roster — and Bane departing — there will be room for flexibility roster-wise.

Perhaps the Grizzlies want to extend that flexibility to their coaching staff as well.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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