ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic appear to be close to hiring Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley as the team’s next head coach, according to ESPN’s NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Mosley would be the 15th head coach in the 32 seasons of the Orlando Magic, replacing Steve Clifford, who mutually parted ways with the Magic on June 5.
Mosley was the lead assistant for Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who resigned June 17 and was recently hired by the Indiana Pacers.
The Mavericks were in a bit of turmoil this season, and Dallas all-star Luka Doncic made no secret of the fact that he would not mind seeing Mosley take over the reigns in Dallas. Mosley was the interim head coach when Carlisle contracted COVID-19 during a portion of this past season.
After Mosley’s stint as interim coach, Doncic said, “He’s got the things that are needed for a head coach. He can be the head coach, for sure.”
Mosley played at Colorado University (1997-2001), where he scored 1,000 career points, and then he had a couple of stints overseas, but did not play in the NBA. He also coached with the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers and joined the Mavs in 2014.
It appeared the Magic were leaning toward possibly hiring Denver assistant Wes Unseld Jr., who has emerged as the frontrunner to be hired as head coach for the Washington Wizards, the franchise for which his father starred when the team was the Washington Bullets. The elder Unseld died May, 2020, after a long illness.
With the Magic taking just over a month to replace Clifford, it will give them a chance to bring Mosley up to speed and get him in tune with expectations for the July 29 NBA draft. The Magic have an opportunity to start off their rebuilding phase by making a big splash in the draft with two picks in the top 10 at No. 5 and No. 8. They also have selection No. 31.
Interestingly, Mosley coached at Dallas with fellow assistant Darrell Armstrong, the longtime Magic fan favorite who played nine seasons for Orlando and was the main reason the Magic were known as Heart and Hustle during his time.
