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Coach Carlisle ‘Threatened’ by Mavs’ Doncic Friendship with Job-Searching Mosley?

Digging into the odd Mavs departure of Rick Carlisle - and the Luka Doncic-related reasons why
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DALLAS - Former Dallas Mavs coach Rick Carlisle’s unorthodox support of Jason Kidd as his successor - an endorsement some think should’ve gone to Carlisle’s top assistant Jamahl Mosley - has created a controversy for Carlisle … and in the end, maybe an opportunity for Mosley.

This particular angle on the Mavs’ eventual hiring of Kidd comes courtesy of Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who is suggesting that Carlisle was “threatened” by team MVP Luka Doncic’s friendship with Mosley.

“Screw it, I’m going to stop being delicate,” MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective podcast. “I think it got to a point where Rick perceived Jamahl Mosley’s close relationship with Luka Doncic as a threat to him. … Mosley … developed great relationships with players throughout his career.”

Which takes Mosley to the next chapter of his career.

DallasBasketball.com has reported via a source that Kidd is at work building his staff in Dallas and has “visited” with J.J. Barea and Jason Terry about taking jobs in Dallas, where that trip helped Dirk Nowitzki win the NBA title in 2011. Meanwhile, colleague Marc Stein reports that Mosley is now interviewing for head coaching vacancies in Washington and Orlando.

Certainly the Mavs' moves - including both the hiring of Kidd as the head coach and Nike exec Nico Harrison as GM - have been made with the happiness and productivity of Doncic in mind.

“We’ve got the talent,” said Mavs owner Mark Cuban, surely fully aware that Doncic needs an improved supporting cast going forward. “I think we’ll get better talent. We’ll keep on getting better. Luka will keep on getting better. And, I think Jason will help Luka and the team get better.”

READ MORE: Mavs to Target DeRozan In NBA Free Agency?

Dallas management seemingly sidestepped any issue that Doncic would have had with any other hiring of a coach not named "Mosley.'' Carlisle quite possibly was either simply speaking frankly about Kidd (odd as it was for him to do so), was involved in a conspiracy that would allow him ease of movement to take the Pacers job while also leading to Dallas improving its roster (also odd), or has a problem with the Doncic-Mosley friendship (and yes, we find that odd as well.)

READ MORE: Are Mavs Getting A Grown-Up Kidd?