Jason Kidd out as Mavericks coach after five seasons
Jason Kidd is out as the top coach of the Dallas Mavericks After five seasons with the franchise, the crew introduced Tuesday night.
Kidd has 4 years and greater than $40 million remaining on his contract, sources advised ESPN. But Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, who prolonged Kidd’s contract throughout Dallas’ Finals run and once more earlier than final season after the Mavs’ declined the New York Knicks request to interview him, gave new president Masai Ujiri full authorization to find out the top coach’s future with the franchise.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri stated in an announcement. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention.
“We will conduct an intensive, disciplined seek for our subsequent head coach and proceed to judge our complete basketball operations workers to make sure we compete at the usual Mavs followers anticipate and deserve.”
Sources said that Kidd had expressed a desire to be promoted to president of basketball operations after general manager Nico Harrison was fired in November, but Dumont informed Kidd months ago that he wouldn’t be considered for the front office.
Kidd was kept out of the loop in the process that resulted in Ujiri’s hiring, sources said.
During his May 5 introductory information convention in Dallas, Ujiri was noncommittal when requested whether or not he might proceed as the Mavs’ coach, though Ujiri famous that he saved George Karl in Denver and Dwane Casey in Toronto when he started his earlier two stints as a franchise’s lead basketball govt.
“He’s completed a fantastic job, however we’re going to take a look at this factor from head to toe” Ujiri said. “That’s the fitting approach to have a look at a company and consider in each single approach we are able to.”
Kidd had a 205-205 record during his five-year tenure at the helm of the Mavs. Dallas went 22-18 in the playoffs under Kidd, advancing to the 2022 Western Conference finals and the 2024 NBA Finals.
The Mavs made a shocking pivot months after their Finals run, trading face of the franchise Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a bundle headlined by Anthony Davis in February 2025. It was a disastrous deal that led to Harrison’s firing eight months later.
Kidd has insisted that he wasn’t aware of the deal until “the eleventh hour,” doubling down on that explanation in early April after minority owner Mark Cuban appeared on a podcast and accused Kidd of being directly involved in the decision to trade Doncic. Kidd’s frustration with Doncic’s frequent conditioning issues was well known throughout the organization.
But Doncic drove winning in Dallas. Under Kidd, the Mavs had a 136-87 record with Doncic in the lineup and went 69-118 without him. That included a 26-56 record last season, when the oft-injured Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards at the deadline in a deal motivated by creating financial flexibility for a rebuild around Cooper Flaggthe No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year.
Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard, was drafted by the Mavs in 1994 and played a critical role in the franchise’s lone championship in 2011 during his second stint with the team.
Kidd has a 388-395 record as a head coach, beginning his coaching career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 instantly after his retirement as a participant and training the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-18.