The Dallas Mavericks are officially heading in a new direction after parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd after five tumultuous seasons.
Sources told ESPN that Kidd has four years left on his contract, which is worth more than $40 million.
Dallas announced Tuesday night that the split was considered a “mutual decision,” ending a string of disappointing years for Kidd as the team advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals.
New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri has made it clear that big changes are coming to the organization.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe now is the right time to chart a new direction for our franchise,” Ujiri said in a statement. “We have high expectations for this team and a responsibility to build a basketball organization that can consistently compete for championships.
“We will conduct a thorough and rigorous search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard that Mavericks fans expect and deserve.”
Kidd leaves Dallas with a 205-205 regular season record and a 22-18 playoff record, highlighted by a trip to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA Finals. But outside of those two playoff appearances, the Mavericks missed the playoffs in three of his five years leading the team.
The collapse of the Mavericks roster finally became impossible to ignore.
After reaching the Finals in 2024, Dallas shocked the basketball world by trading team cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster deal centered around Anthony Davis.
The move quickly spelled disaster for the organization and ultimately led to the firing of former general manager Nico Harrison.
Kidd has repeatedly insisted he had little involvement in the decision.
“I didn’t know about the trade until the 11th hour,” Kidd said earlier this year after questions surrounding his role in trade discussions surfaced.
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