J.J. Barea Hired as Head Coach of Puerto Rican League Team

J.J. Barea, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks and just finished his 11th NBA season, has been hired as head coach of the Puerto Rican league team Indios de Mayaguez for the remainder of its season.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Barea will coach the team through June 27 and received clearance from the NBA, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and head coach Rick Carlisle to take over for Indios de Mayaguez.

"I didn't know it was going to happen now, but I always wanted to coach later on when I finished playing," Barea told MacMahon. "This is my hometown team, where I played when I was getting started. I think it's going to be a great experience for myself and see if I really like this and see what I learn and if it can help me out for the future."

Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Barea has played for the Puerto Rican national team in between NBA seasons. He was a standout at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, averaging 21.3 points and 7.8 assists in six games. 

Barea was limited to 35 games for the Mavericks last season due to injuries. The 32-year-old won an NBA title with the Mavs in 2011 and has also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves since being undrafted out of Northeastern in 2006.