The Dallas Mavericks are officially moving in a new direction after parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd following five turbulent seasons with the franchise.
Kidd has four years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract, sources told ESPN.
Dallas announced Tuesday night that the split was considered a “mutual decision,” ending Kidd’s run after back-to-back disappointing years that followed the team’s 2024 NBA Finals appearance.
New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri made it clear that major changes are coming to the organization.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri said in a statement. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention.
“We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”
Kidd exits Dallas with a 205-205 regular season record and a 22-18 playoff mark, highlighted by a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. But outside of those two playoff runs, the Mavericks missed the postseason in three of his five years leading the franchise.
The collapse of the Mavericks’ roster build ultimately became impossible to ignore.
After reaching the Finals in 2024, Dallas shocked the basketball world by trading franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster deal centered around Anthony Davis.
The move quickly spiraled into disaster for the organization and eventually led to the firing of former general manager Nico Harrison.
Kidd repeatedly maintained he was barely involved in the decision.
“I wasn’t aware of the deal until the 11th hour,” Kidd said earlier this year after questions surfaced surrounding his role in the trade discussions.
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