Jared Dudley spent his final two seasons as an NBA player on the Los Angeles Lakers, and the organization reportedly attempted to keep him aboard in a different role for the 2021-22 campaign.

According to Bill Oram, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Purple and Gold approached Dudley about various roles, including broadcasting. However, he chose to become an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks as part of new head coach Jason Kidd's staff.

There is a familiarity in place between Dudley and Kidd, considering the latter was an assistant coach for the Lakers the past two seasons.

Dudley entered the league as a first-round draft pick of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2007 and took on something of a journeyman career. He suited up for the Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets and Lakers during his 14 seasons as a player.

He finished with career averages of 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.8 steals per game and won one championship with the Lakers during the 2019-20 campaign.

While he was never a star player, Dudley was a frequent guest on a number of NBA podcasts and even wrote a book titled "Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season Under Quarantine" that detailed what it was like to finish that championship run inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble.

A transition into broadcasting seemed like a potentially natural fit, and the Lakers must have thought so to approach him like they reportedly did.

However, Dudley now has a chance to start a coaching career on the sidelines of a playoff contender in the daunting Western Conference.

Dallas reached the postseason in each of the last two years and has one of the league's best players in Luka Doncic leading the way. It also has multiple NBA veterans in Kidd and Dudley on the coaching staff who will look to help Doncic and the Mavericks reach their full potential.