The Golden State Warriors not only only have to solidify their playing roster in the coming weeks via free agency and potential trades, but they also have to organize Steve Kerr's coaching staff which is bound to see different faces next season.
Lead assistants Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse have already departed, but one of the likely replacements, former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green, could be stolen by the Dallas Mavericks as they build a staff around rookie head coach Dusty May.
Mavericks could swoop in and steal Willie Green from Warriors grasp
Green was first linked to a return to Golden State in the immediate aftermath of their Play-In Tournament elimination in April, having previously been an assistant on Kerr's staff between 2016 and 2019 where the franchise won back-to-back championships and achieved an additional trip to the NBA Finals.
But just as Green's return to the Warriors looked like a fait accompli, NBA insider Marc Stein reports on Saturday that the Mavericks are showing interest in Green after confirming May as Jason Kidd's replacement at the start of the week.
Former Pelicans coach Willie Green, who has been pursued by Golden State to rejoin Steve Kerr's staff as an assistant, also has interest from Dallas as new Mavericks coach Dusty May assembles his first NBA staff, league sources say.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 28, 2026
Former Bucks coach Adrian Griffin and Heat… https://t.co/zx6lvhbFPQ
May enters the NBA with extensive college experience, but is untried at the NBA level after leading the Michigan Wolverines to the NCAA championship this year. The Mavericks drafted Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. with the ninth overall pick at Tuesday's draft, before the Warriors took another Wolverines star in Yaxel Lendeborg two picks later.
Green could bring experience to the Mavericks' coaching staff after leading the Pelicans for just over four years, having been fired early this past season after the franchise generated an underwhelming 2-10 start to their campaign.
Willie Green could be swayed by opportunity in Dallas
The decision for Green, if between Dallas and Golden State, could come down to which philosophical opportunity he wants to take. If he wants to be part of a veteran playoff team who are still striving for more glory in the short-term, there's no doubt the Warriors are the better option even despite failing to make the playoffs this year.
But we also shouldn't dismiss the chance of developing a talented group of young Mavericks players, headlined by Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg who could be just at the start of a legendary career ahead.
Green has an interesting choice ahead and one that could shape the future of other assistants around the league as the Warriors seek to rejuvenate the voices in their locker room.
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