Rockets' Royal Ivey Linked to Mavericks Coaching Vacancy

He's become a popular name.

Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey during the first quarter against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

With each passing year, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka seems more and more likely to have one of his assistants get promoted to a head coaching position elsewhere around the league. Granted, it's technically already happened with the Boston Celtics, as Joe Mazzulla was one of Udoka's assistants, but that doesn't quite count.

Mazzulla was already in Boston well before Udoka got there. Two years before, actually. He was first hired by Brad Stevens. 

Perhaps Udoka's best example is Tiago Splitter, but that's also not quite a clear cut example, either. For starters, Splitter carried the interim tag for the Portland Trail Blazers, which technically isn't the same thing (although it's certainly close and a step in the right direction).

But also, Splitter's previous position prior to the Blazers' interim coach was a EuroLeague head coach position with Paris Basketball. Again, it's not exactly linear.

Rockets assistant coach and shooting coach Ben Sullivan's candidacy seems to be heating up around the league, as he garnered serious consideration for the Portland Trail Blazers head coaching vacancy -- so much that he landed an interview for the position, which was occupied by the aforementioned Splitter this past season.

The latest reporting on that front is that Sullivan is no longer in consideration for the role. Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey, however, could be next in line for a promotion and pay increase.

Ivey was first linked to the Blazers job as well, alongside Sullivan, but ultimately never interviewed for the position. Ivey is now being linked to the Dallas Mavericks' coaching vacancy, based on the latest line of reporting from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line.

"The more realistic outcome for Dallas remains hiring someone from within the NBA and, to that end, sources say that the Mavericks have either already registered official interest or plan to do so with a number of prominent assistant coaches. Those include Minnesota's Micah Nori, Houston's Royal Ivey, Toronto's Jama Mahlalela, Boston's Tony Dobbins and Miami consultant Noah LaRoche."

The Mavericks are expected to cast a wide net in their search, as the duo explained.

"Based on early estimates relayed from NBA coaching insiders, Dallas is expected to speak to a dozen or so candidates in the search to find Cooper Flagg's second NBA head coach."

Ivey has received interest around the league over the last several years, landing an interview with the Charlotte Hornets in 2024, while also landing on the Phoenix Suns' radar last summer.