Longtime NBA guard J.J. Barea reportedly has a new coaching gig in his home territory.
Barea has agreed to a deal to become the coach of Mets de Guaynabo in Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico's national basketball league, according to a Saturday morning report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 39-year-old Barea played 14 seasons in the NBA for the Mavericks and Timberwolves from 2007-20, averaging 9.5 points per game for Dallas's 2011 championship team. His 2,441 assists with the Mavericks rank ninth in franchise history.
Barea won 13 medals with the Puerto Rican national team in a decorated international career, including two in the Pan American Games and two in the FIBA AmeriCup.
14-year NBA veteran and 2011 champion JJ Barea is becoming the head coach of the Guaynabo Mets in the Puerto Rican Professional Basketball League, per sources. Barea enters coaching side for first time in his native Puerto Rico.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2023
Guaynabo, the San Juan suburb in which the team is located, is about two hours by car from Mayaguez, where Barea was born. The Mets' roster includes four-time NBA All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
