Steve Nash Reportedly Approached Dirk Nowitzki About Joining Nets Coaching Staff

Steve Nash sought a potential reunion with former Dallas Mavericks teammate Dirk Nowitzki upon taking over as the Brooklyn Nets head coach Thursday, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein.

Stein reported Nowitzki, who retired in 2019, didn't want dive into a full-time gig right now.

It's unclear what kind of role Nowitzki would've assumed on the Nets staff. The team already confirmed Jacque Vaughn will be Nash's lead assistant after having served as the head coach after Kenny Atkinson mutually parted ways with the team in March.

Nash is a perfect example of how teams are willing to gamble on legendary players with no formal coaching experience. Taking an assistant gig certainly wouldn't hurt Nowitzki, though, in the event he has aspirations of guiding a team.

The San Antonio Spurs hired Tim Duncan last July to join Gregg Popovich. Duncan replaced Popovich for a 104-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets in March after Popovich missed the game because of personal reasons.

Nowitzki, who played with Nash for six seasons, is a 14-time All-Star and 12-time All-NBA player destined for the Hall of Fame. Joining the Mavericks makes the most sense because that's where he spent his entire playing career. But the 42-year-old would probably have any number of franchises willing to hire him as an assistant were he to signal his intention to start coaching.