Former Mavs Jason Terry To Coach in NBA G League

Former Mavericks guard Jason Terry has been hired as head coach of the Grand Rapids Gold, the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets.

During the recent Dallas coaching search, one name that came to mind was Jason Terry. A member of the 2011 Mavericks team that won the NBA Championship, Terry was a 19-year NBA veteran with a wealth of basketball knowledge who many believe would have fit nicely on the Dallas staff.

Another former Mavs guard in Jason Kidd became the next head coach of the Mavericks, of course. But Terry is still on the move.

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Terry has still made the jump into the NBA coaching ranks this summer. As first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, he is being hired as the head coach of the Grand Rapids Gold, the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets.

To take this position, Terry will be leaving the assistant coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Arizona. He spent one year in that position following a season as the assistant GM of the Texas Legends of the G League back in 2019.

While he clearly hasn't spent much time as a coach after his playing career ended in 2018, his rapid promotion shows suggests a belief in his future.

Last month, Terry spoke to Zach Gelb of CBS Sports and alluded to a potential jump to the NBA as a coach. 

“Don’t rule out me being on a bench here in the NBA," said Terry. "I also have aspired to give my 19 years of experience and knowledge to these young guys and mentor these guys and show them the way. We’ll see what the cards hold but I’m enjoying my time at Arizona under the leadership of Tommy Lloyd and back at my alma mater, so I’m having fun doing what I do.”

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While he didn't end up on the staff in Dallas, perhaps it could still be in the cards in the future. It's not uncommon for G League coaches to naturally move into NBA assistant roles over time.