The Dallas Mavericks are officially moving in a new direction.
Jason Kidd is out as head coach after five seasons, with the team describing the move as a mutual decision. The announcement comes just two weeks after Dallas hired former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as team president and alternate governor.
Kidd’s time in Dallas was never simple, but it was far from forgettable. He led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals in his first season, then helped take the franchise back to the NBA Finals in 2024 with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving at the center of the run. Dallas ultimately lost that series to the Boston Celtics in five games.
Ujiri praised Kidd’s impact in a statement, calling him an important part of the Mavericks family. He also made it clear that the franchise believes this is the moment to reset.
“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. He added that Dallas has “high expectations” and a responsibility to build an organization capable of sustained championship contention.
Kidd finished his Mavericks coaching run with a 205-205 regular-season record and a 22-18 playoff record. His overall coaching résumé now includes stops with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Mavericks, along with a stint as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The turning point for Dallas came after the franchise traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 season. The move badly damaged the team’s standing with fans, especially after the Mavericks missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Former general manager Nico Harrison was later fired, and Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Dončić deal, was eventually moved to Washington after an injury-hit stretch in Dallas.
The timing also matters because Dallas is trying to build around Cooper Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year. Ujiri had previously said he wanted to help turn Flagg into a franchise cornerstone, but Kidd will no longer be the coach leading that development.
Kidd’s history with Dallas still runs deep. As a player, he helped the Mavericks win their only NBA championship in 2011, and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. That legacy gives his exit more weight, even as the organization tries to separate sentiment from the pressure of rebuilding a contender.
The Mavericks will now begin a search for their next head coach. For Ujiri, this becomes one of the first major decisions of his Dallas tenure. For the franchise, it is another sign that the post-Dončić reset is not just about the roster anymore. It is about rebuilding trust, identity, and a winning direction before the Cooper Flagg era fully takes shape.