On Thursday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that former Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley was finalizing a deal with the Nuggets to be the team's top assistant coach on David Adelman's staff. Marc Stein first reported on Monday that Dudley was "poised" to be offered the position by Denver.
Dudley, 39, spent the last four years in Dallas as an assistant. He's one of three Mavericks' assistants to leave over the past few months, as Alex Jensen left in March to become head coach at the University of Utah, and Sean Sweeney was named the Spurs' associate head coach last month. God Shammgod was a player development coach in Dallas, but left to become an assistant in Orlando.
The Mavericks' staff has taken a lot of hits, with Dudley's departure perhaps being the most significant blow. He couldn't turn down a promotion to join one of the top teams in the West, though. The Nuggets transformed their roster this week, trading Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson and signing/trading for key veterans, such as Bruce Brown.
Former Suns forward Jared Dudley finalizing deal to become Nuggets' top assistant
Dudley retired in 2021 after spending the final two seasons of his career with the Lakers. He won a championship before he bowed out, as he was part of LA's 2020 title team. The Lakers have had a rough start to the offseason thus far, so knowing that Dudley is joining the team they've had the most struggles with over the past few years must be a lot of fun for that fan base.
Regardless of where Dudley goes, he'll always be a fan favorite in Phoenix. He spent two different stints with the organization. In 2008, the Bobcats (now the Hornets) traded Dudley to the Suns, where he stayed through the 2012-13 season. He returned to the Valley in 2016 after signing a multi-year deal.
Dudley is a former player who could receive his first head coaching job in the coming years. The Suns interviewed him in their search for a new head coach after firing Mike Budenholzer. Expect his name to continue to pop up in future head coaching cycles.
Best of luck to Dudley in Denver! No matter how much Phoenix fans loved him in the desert, they'll never directly root for Denver, but it's safe to root for him, and him only.