Masai Ujiri wasted no time making his mark in Dallas.
Less than a month after being named team president, the Mavericks and Ujiri decided to part ways with head coach Jason Kidd, the franchise announced.
It ended a five-season tenure the team described as a mutual decision.
Kidd leaves with a 205-205 overall record, going 22-18 in the playoffs and guiding Dallas to the 2022 Western Conference finals and the 2024 NBA Finals. The California native had four years remaining on his contract, according to DLLS Sports’ Marc Stein.
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, who extended Kidd’s contract during Dallas’ NBA Finals run in 2024 and again before last season after the franchise declined the New York Knicks’ request to interview him, gave new president Masai Ujiri full authority to determine the coach’s future with the franchise.
“He’s done a great job, but we are going to look at this thing from head to toe,” Ujiri said of Kidd during his introductory news conference.
Ujiri told DLLS Sports he planned to speak with Kidd the day after his introductory news conference. After taking more than two weeks to weigh the decision, Ujiri concluded it was time for the team to move in a new direction.
“Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” Ujiri said in a team statement. “As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team.”
Kidd forged strong relationships with both of the Mavericks’ stars, forward Cooper Flagg and guard Kyrie Irving, during his time in Dallas. Flagg, 19, just completed his rookie season and has three years remaining on his contract. Irving has one year left on his deal before he can exercise a player option in the summer of 2027.
Multiple teams have expressed interest in Irving’s services next season, sources tell DLLS Sports. But Ujiri may look to pair the NBA champion with Flagg going forward.
“You dream like me, man. I can’t wait. I want to see that,” Ujiri said at his introductory news conference. “Kyrie Irving is one of the best players, and I know he’s the best ball handler in the game. His experience. He’s a championship player. I’m excited to see that, we all are. His injury was unfortunate, but I know he’s moved past that. I think it’s going to be pretty cool, and I know it’s going to help Cooper, because Kyrie likes to play off the ball too, and this is going to be interesting for us.”
Ujiri has never been quick to pull the trigger on coaches. In Denver, he kept George Karl. In Toronto, he held onto Dwane Casey for years before parting ways. But something about Dallas felt different and Kidd paid the price.
Now the Mavericks face a coaching search at a pivotal moment, tasked with finding the right voice to shepherd 19-year-old Cooper Flagg into stardom. It is a job that did not exist 15 months ago, before the franchise shipped out Luka Dončić — the very superstar Kidd was brought to Dallas to coach.
Matt Riccardi, a Plano native who served as the Mavericks’ co-interim general manager, is out along with several other staff members as Ujiri continues reshaping the organization, sources told DLLS Sports.
The Dallas Mavericks will hold a news conference at American Airlines Center with Ujiri at 10:30 a.m. CT Wednesday.
