DHJ Quick Take: Jama Mahlalela Positioned as a Mavericks Candidate With Deep Masai Ujiri Ties
Toronto Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela has surfaced as a candidate in the Dallas Mavericks head coaching search, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal. He has close ties to Mavs president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri.
- Who is Jama Mahlalela? He is a Toronto Raptors assistant and former Raptors 905 head coach regarded as one of the NBA’s foremost player-development coaches.
- Why does he fit in Dallas? He has spent more than a decade in Ujiri’s Raptors orbit and is involved with Giants of Africa, the nonprofit Ujiri founded, matching the development-minded profile Ujiri tends to hire.
- What else has he done? He won a title as a Golden State Warriors assistant in 2022, was a finalist for the New York Liberty‘s head coaching job in 2025, and is an assistant on Canada’s national team through the 2028 Olympics.
- What’s next? Mahlalela is part of a Mavericks field that also includes Micah Nori and Royal Ivey as Dallas works to fill the job before the June 23 NBA Draft.
DALLAS — As the Dallas Mavericks work through their head coaching search, Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela remains a candidate whose background closely aligns with the executive making the call, president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri.
The Mavericks began conducting interviews over the past month as they look to fill the opening created by Jason Kidd‘s departure. Mahlalela is one of several names Dallas has considered, a group that also includes Minnesota Timberwolves associate head coach Micah Nori and Houston Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, according to Dallas Hoops Journal sources.
In addition to the Mavericks, Nori has been connected to multiple head-coaching vacancies during the current cycle, including the Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Masai Ujiri Connection
Of the candidates Dallas is weighing, Mahlalela carries the most direct line to Ujiri’s world. He spent more than a decade inside the Raptors organization that Ujiri helped build, and his work extends to Giants of Africa, the basketball nonprofit Ujiri founded to grow the game across the continent.
That overlap is worth noting in a search Ujiri is steering, given his history of elevating collaborative, development-minded coaches rather than established names.
A Reputation Built on Player Development
Mahlalela, 45, has spent most of his career turning young talent into rotation players. During his two seasons with the Golden State Warriors from 2021 to 2023, he worked as an assistant and director of player development on Steve Kerr‘s staff, contributed to the franchise’s 2022 championship, and earned a front-of-bench promotion that Kerr compared to a chief-of-staff role.
His skills work in Toronto with players such as Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, and with younger Warriors like Jonathan Kuminga, has made him one of the more respected development coaches in the league. He has summed up his approach by saying that “people come first.”
People who have worked with Mahlalela echo that reputation in conversations with Dallas Hoops Journal, describing a relationship-driven coach who connects across a locker room while holding players to high standards and accountability. Those sources credit him with empowering players to lean into their strengths and sustaining an environment that stays competitive without losing its energy.
On the technical side, they point to his creativity in scouting and game preparation, along with a knack for breaking down complex concepts into instructions that players can execute quickly. Sources also cite his organizational skills and work ethic, framing his overall profile as a balance of player development, communication, and basketball IQ.
From Swaziland to NBA Benches
Born in Mbabane, Swaziland, and raised in the Toronto area, Mahlalela played five seasons at the University of British Columbia and captained the program to a Canada West title in 2003. UBC later created the Jama Mahlalela Award in his honor, recognizing leadership and selfless dedication.
He began coaching at the University of Toronto in 2004, then moved into the Raptors organization, working in community development and as director of basketball operations for NBA Asia before joining Dwane Casey‘s bench in 2013.
Head-Coaching Ambitions
Mahlalela has already run his own program. He posted a 50-43 record as head coach of the G League’s Raptors 905 from 2018 to 2020, then returned to the Toronto bench before his stint in Golden State.
The head-coaching interest has followed him since: he was a finalist for the New York Liberty‘s WNBA job in 2025, and he currently serves as an assistant on Canada’s national team staff through the 2028 Olympics. A move to Dallas would hand him a roster built around reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
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