Dallas Mavericks part ways with head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons
The Dallas Mavericks have mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Jason Kidd on Tuesday following a five-year tenure in Texas.
The outgoing coach leaves the franchise despite having four years and more than $40m remaining on his current contract.
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont gave newly appointed president Masai Ujiri full authorization to determine the coaching future upon his recent arrival.
Search for new direction
“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 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.”
The former point guard had previously expressed a desire to transition into the front office following the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison in November.
However, ownership informed the Hall of Fame player months ago that he would not be considered for the president of basketball operations vacancy.
Doncic departure and decline
During his half-decade at the helm, the 52-year-old guided Dallas to a 205-205 regular-season record and 22 post-season victories.
His tenure peaked with a run to the 2024 NBA Finals, but the organisation made a shocking pivot shortly after by trading franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The controversial February 2025 exchange brought Anthony Davis to Dallas, but the move ultimately proved disastrous and contributed to Harrison’s exit.
Rebuilding phase ahead
Minority owner Mark Cuban recently claimed the coaching staff were directly involved in the decision to move Doncic, although these allegations were strongly denied.
The Slovenian superstar was the undeniable driving force behind the team’s success, with Dallas boasting a 136-87 record when he featured in the lineup.
Without their talisman, the Mavericks struggled immensely, culminating in a dismal 26-56 record last season.
The oft-injured Davis was subsequently traded to the Washington Wizards at the deadline to create financial flexibility for an impending rebuild.