By Jamal Baker
NDG Sportswriter
The Dallas Mavericks have concluded their head coaching search and are finalizing a deal with Michigan’s Dusty May to lead the franchise in a new direction.
May, 49, is coming off an impressive 37-3 record with the Wolverines last season and topped it off with a national championship victory over UConn. He also had success at Florida Atlantic prior to Michigan—earning back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2023 Final Four.
As the new head coach of the Mavs, May becomes the first college head coach to leave for the NBA immediately after winning a championship.
May replaces Jason Kidd, who mutually agreed to part ways with the organization at the end of last season.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Mavericks President Masai Ujiri said following Kidd’s departure. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention.”
With May, Dallas has a proven program builder that understands how to orchestrate a winning culture. He brings a versatile defensive scheme that encourages physicality and switching, as well as an offense that emphasizes pace and space.
May will inherit a talented Dallas roster that includes reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks also have two first round selections heading into Tuesday’s 2026 NBA Draft with picks No. 9 and 30.
NBA prospect and former Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg is hoping his college coach will put in a good word and draft him with the ninth overall pick.
“I would love to play for him for the rest of my life,” Lendeborg said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “He’s that good of a coach, so hopefully he makes that decision.”
Lendeborg is a dynamic scorer at the forward position with prototypical NBA size and exceptional defensive versatility.
He has the potential to be a plug-and-play starter alongside Flagg due to his high basketball IQ and familiarity with May’s system.
“A lot of schemes, a lot of switching and stuff. And his offense was very much a pro-style offense,” Lendeborg said. “We played fast-paced, physical, all of that. … I’ve gained so much knowledge from him as far as those actions and just those little communication keys.”
Lendeborg is one of three starters from Michigan’s championship team that expect to hear their name called in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projects Lendeborg to be selected 11th overall by the Warriors, Mara to be selected 12th by the Clippers and Morez Johnson Jr. to be drafted 14th by the Hornets.
“[May] should like me the most, I feel like we had the best connection,” Lendeborg said. “But him and Aday used to play one-on-one a lot, so I don’t know if he got any brownie points for that. But Dusty better draft me or I’m gonna be very upset.”
Whoever the Mavs draft, they will be in good hands with an elite talent developer like May. He is homerun hire and one Dallas fans should be excited about.
