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The Dallas Mavericks made a surprising coaching move after their disappointing 26-56 campaign.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Mavericks are parting ways with Jason Kidd two years after he guided the franchise to the NBA Finals.
“BREAKING: Jason Kidd is out as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri is making a coaching change," Charania reported Tuesday.
Kidd took over for Rick Carlisle in 2021 and enjoyed instant success with the 2011 NBA champions. The 53-year-old helped the Mavericks secure 52 regular-season wins in 2021-22 and punch their ticket to the postseason. Kidd’s breakout campaign with Dallas didn’t occur until the 2023-24 campaign, though.
Led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks earned the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves to advance to the NBA Finals.
Although Dallas felt short, it appeared that Kidd was unquestionably the right man for the job. Unfortunately for Kidd, things became chaotic in 2024-25. The Mavericks shockingly traded Doncic, their franchise player, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis midway through the year. As a result, Dallas went on to miss the postseason with their revamped roster.
That said, the Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery last spring and used their No. 1 overall pick to select a generational forward in Cooper Flagg. The Duke product was phenomenal for the Mavericks as a rookie, showcasing his versatile skill set/poise and solidifying himself as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate.
At the end of the day, though, back-to-back losing seasons ultimately doomed Kidd, leading to him losing a job that many had deemed stable a few years earlier.
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