When the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded star guard Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, it effectively ended Nico Harrison’s tenure.
This week, the Mavericks found a replacement for the embattled Harrison, hiring former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as the team’s president. Ujiri helped build a championship team in Toronto and will be tasked with putting another title-type team around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
However, many have begun to wonder if Jason Kidd will still be the head coach when the Mavericks next take the floor.
New Mavericks President Masai Ujiri Has a Cryptic Message About Jason Kidd’s Future
Kidd has coached the Mavericks since 2021, posting two winning seasons and three losing seasons. The Mavericks, of course, went to the Finals in 2024, but have gone just 39-43 and 26-56 in the two seasons since. His record in Dallas is 205-205. Of course, the trade of Dončić last season, followed by a trade of the player they received in return for Dončić, Anthony Davis, this year, didn’t help matters and may give Kidd a little leeway.
Ujiri was asked about the future of Kidd during his opening press conference.
“I had a conversation with Jason Kidd yesterday,” Ujiri said. “I’m going to meet with Jason Kidd, hear his thoughts, and everything.”
Masai Ujiri said that he’s going to meet with Jason Kidd to hear his thoughts about remaining the team’s head coach, but he’s going to look at this organization from top to bottom.
He didn’t confirm that Kidd will remain the head coach in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/wvoDXBwM7x
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 5, 2026
Ujiri likes what Kidd has done, but wants to evaluate every part of the organization before making any decisions.
“He’s a Hall-of-Fame player, he’s done a great job, but we’re going to look at this thing from head to toe,” Ujiri explained. “That’s the right way to look at an organization, evaluate in every single way that we can, but I talked to him, and I’m going to hear his thoughts on where he sees this.”
Ujiri obviously chose his words carefully, leaving the door open for Kidd’s return but not committing to keeping Kidd.
Over his career, Kidd, who was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for the 2013-2014 season and coach of the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 until he was fired midway through the 2017-2018 season, has a career record of 388-395 in the regular season and 31-33 in the postseason.
Ujiri has had a more successful career, making the playoffs 12 of the 15 seasons he served as an executive for the Raptors and Denver Nuggets. He was named Executive of the Year for the 2012-2013 season in Denver, and of course, won the championship with the Raptors in 2019 after acquiring star forward Kawhi Leonard.
Former Mavericks owner and current minority owner Mark Cuban likes the move.
“I like it,” Cuban said. “He has experience. He has won. Most importantly, the owner he had in Toronto is very similar to Patrick Dumont. I think it will make it easier on Patrick and the organization to have someone with his credentials in charge.”
The Mavericks likely wouldn’t have hired Ujiri without giving him full control, so decisions like this will ultimately be his. Whether Kidd returns next season is currently the biggest question mark.
