DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have dismissed head coach Jason Kidd following five seasons with the franchise, announcing the separation just two weeks after bringing on former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as team president and governor.
Dallas officials announced Tuesday they were separating from Kidd, characterizing the decision as mutually agreed upon. The Hall of Fame point guard previously helped bring the franchise its sole championship as a player in 2011.
During his May 5 introduction, Ujiri remained uncommitted regarding Kidd’s future, stating he would speak with the coach while assessing every element of 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.”
Under Kidd’s leadership, the Mavericks achieved two significant playoff campaigns alongside Luka Doncic, advancing to the NBA Finals in 2024 after reaching the Western Conference finals two years earlier against Golden State.
Dallas traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 campaign, acquiring Anthony Davis as the primary asset in an exchange that proved disastrous for the organization. The Mavericks failed to reach the playoffs that year and again in 2025-26.
The 53-year-old coach had expressed enthusiasm about working with 2025 No. 1 overall draft selection Cooper Flagg, who earned Rookie of the Year honors. That responsibility will now shift to his successor.
Kidd concluded his Dallas tenure with an even .500 regular-season mark (205-205), perfectly reflecting the inconsistent nature of his time with the team.
The Western Conference finals appearance occurred during his inaugural season, when Dallas upset the favored Phoenix Suns in a road Game 7 during the second round. The Mavericks fell to the eventual champion Warriors in five games.
Then-general manager Nico Harrison acquired Kyrie Irving the following season, though injuries to both him and Doncic prevented them from forming an elite scoring tandem. Dallas failed to qualify for the playoffs.
During their sole healthy campaign together in 2023-24, Doncic and Irving guided the Mavericks to their first Finals appearance since Kidd’s championship-winning playing days.
Nine months afterward, Harrison stunned the league by dealing Doncic. Due to injuries, Irving and Davis shared the court for merely 2 1/2 quarters.
Harrison received his dismissal early in the 2025-26 season following a poor start and another Davis injury. Davis was subsequently dealt to Washington, and despite exceptional performances from Flagg, the Mavericks concluded with a 26-56 record.
Dallas joins Orlando, Chicago and Portland as franchises seeking new head coaches. The Trail Blazers utilized Tiago Splitter in an interim capacity this season. Since the regular season concluded, Milwaukee has brought in Taylor Jenkins while New Orleans hired Jamahl Mosley.
Among the 12 coaches who have guided teams to NBA Finals since 2019, seven have departed those organizations — including four championship winners: Nick Nurse with Toronto in 2019; Frank Vogel with the Lakers in 2020; Mike Budenholzer with Milwaukee in 2021; and Michael Malone with Denver in 2023.
Additional coaches who reached the Finals since 2019 but no longer remain with those franchises include: Monty Williams (Phoenix in 2021), Ime Udoka (Boston in 2022) and Kidd.
Kidd holds a 388-395 record across nine-plus seasons as a head coach. He transitioned directly from playing to coaching, guiding Brooklyn to the second playoff round in 2013-14. He departed for Milwaukee, where he was dismissed midway through his fourth season.
Following two seasons as a Lakers assistant, including their 2020 championship run in the playoff bubble alongside LeBron James and Davis, Kidd joined the Mavericks.
Ujiri advised reporters against interpreting his non-committal stance regarding Kidd’s return, noting coaches had lengthy tenures during his previous basketball operations roles with Toronto and Denver.
This time, Ujiri begins with a clean slate.
