The Dallas Mavericks have seen a lot of change as of late. The team fired general manager Nico Harrison on November 11, 2025, and recently hired Masai Ujiri to run the organization. On Tuesday, the Mavs announced that they have parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd. Kidd had a regular season record of 205-205 and a postseason record of 22-18. So, what led to this move, and what did the sports world think of the decision?
Why Did the Mavericks Part Ways With Jason Kidd?
During the 2023-24 season, Kidd led the Mavericks to a 50-32 record and a trip to the NBA Finals. That team was led by Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. It was the first time that the Mavericks had made the finals since the 2011 season.
Harrison’s decision to trade Dončic to the Los Angeles Lakers was was one of the most shocking trades in sports history and a franchise-changing move. Now, Dallas is a rebuilding team that is focused on surrounding last year’s No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg with the best talent possible.
The decision to hire Kidd prompted some strong reactions.
“This move isn’t surprising but is disappointing,” wrote former NFL LB Emanuel Acho. “To my knowledge Jason Kidd wanted to make a Brad Stevens type of transition and move from head coach to front office. When the Mavs went in a different direction with Masai, Kidd’s days were numbered… Another casualty of Nico’s Luka error.”
To my knowledge Jason Kidd wanted to make a Brad Stevens type of transition and move from head coach to front office.
When the Mavs went in a different direction with Masai, Kidd’s days were numbered. This move isn’t surprising but is disappointing.
Another casualty of Nico’s… https://t.co/HVa0bG1M7s
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) May 19, 2026
However, some people were surprised, as one influencer tweeted, “WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT” and New York Knicks beat writer Kristian Winfield wrote, “Oh my.”
WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT https://t.co/08SPq1Pzhd
— lynz (@lynziekate) May 19, 2026
During the Mavs’ Finals run, Dallas lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. Even though the Finals weren’t super competitive, advancing that far was still a huge accomplishment for the Mavericks and Kidd. Kidd had previously coached in the 2020 NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant on Frank Vogel’s staff, and he also won an NBA championship as a player (with the Mavericks in 2011).
In the Dončic trade, the Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis, a very good but injury-prone player who wasn’t on the same level as Dončic. The Mavericks finished that season 39-43, a drop off of 11 wins from the previous season. Losing Dončic stung for the Mavericks and their fans, and it’s hard to separate this decision from that failed move.
“Jason Kidd just signed a massive extension last summer to remain with the Mavericks long-term, and he had the backing of Cooper Flagg. It will be interesting to see what direction Masai Ujiri takes the Mavs, who have made it clear anyone involved with the Luka trade is out,” wrote ClutchPoints’ national NBA reporter Brett Siegel.
Jason Kidd just signed a massive extension last summer to remain with the Mavericks long-term, and he had the backing of Cooper Flagg.
It will be interesting to see what direction Masai Ujiri takes the Mavs, who have made it clear anyone involved with the Luka trade is out.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) May 19, 2026
“wooooooooooooow, the last piece of the domino falls. killa kidd, it was a pleasure,” said one Mavericks influencer.
wooooooooooooow, the last piece of the domino falls. killa kidd, it was a pleasure https://t.co/gbqZ60bvTh
— coopz (@Coopz___) May 19, 2026
It is hard to say what role Kidd played in the decision to trade Luka or whether Harrison acted alone. At a press conference after the trade, Kidd looked disconcerted, and it certainly seemed like Harrison was the one who called the shots. At the end of the day, this may just be about Ujiri wanting his own head coach as he takes over the organization.
“Masai Ujiri wants to usher in a new era,” wrote PFSN’s Alex Kennedy. “This isn’t a complete surprise, as Ujiri refused to commit to Jason Kidd when asked about his future; he said they would consider changes from ‘head to toe.’ Now, Dallas makes a change even though Kidd signed a massive extension last summer.”
Last offseason, Dallas blocked the New York Knicks from pursuing Kidd during their head coaching search and then signed him to a lucrative extension. Kidd reportedly had four years and $40 million remaining on his deal, yet that didn’t stop Ujiri from making this change.
Ujiri is determined to build a winner around the phenom Flagg, who won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award after averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. This offseason, Ujiri will get a chance to put his fingerprints all over the franchise with his own head coach, front-office staff, and personnel moves.
