Mavericks Part Ways With Jason Kidd

Back in the 1980s, former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville used to say that the NFL stood for “Not For Long.” If that’s the case, the NBA might stand for “Not Be Around” given the turmoil that goes with the coaching ranks on an annual basis.

That wheel turned again on Tuesday. The Dallas Mavericks made the decision to part ways with coach Jason Kidd. The move came as a bit of a surprise. After all, Kidd still had four years and $40-plus million on his contract at the time of the firing. For what it means for the franchise and Kidd, let’s take a deeper look.

Why Did Dallas Make the Move?

For starters, there was a regime change. GM Nico Harrison was fired in November. At that point, Kidd was informed that he wouldn’t be considered for a front office role. Masai Ujiri, who previously had success in the front office with both the Nuggets and Raptors, was named team president May 5. After taking time to review the situation, Ujiri made the decision to make the change at the top.

In his career with the Mavericks, Kidd was the epitome of a .500 coach over the five years with the franchise. He was 205-205 as a head coach in the regular season and 22-18 in the playoffs during his tenure. Dallas made the playoffs twice in his five seasons at the helm while finishing below .500 in the previous three seasons. The Mavericks made the NBA Finals in 2024, falling to the Celtics in five games.

There was a marked difference in the team’s performance tied to Luka Doncic. When he was on the floor, Kidd and the Mavericks posted a 136-87 mark. When he wasn’t on the floor, including after he was dealt, Dallas was 69-118. There was also the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Washington, taking another piece out of the rotation. That move left the Mavericks with first overall pick Cooper Flagg and not much else in the way of proven talent.

What’s Next?

For the Mavericks, it may be a tough sell to get someone that is a big name. Part of that is simply due to logistics. Dallas has to contend with San Antonio and Houston in their own division. That gets more daunting when you factor in teams like the Thunder and Nuggets in the Western Conference. Throw in the fact that two of the top other pieces besides Flagg are either older (Kyrie Irving is 34) or injury prone (Irving and Dereck Lively II and things get murkier. In addition, while Dallas has a couple first-round picks this year, they dealt away several other picks in the future, leaving them with a less than optimal cupboard of draft picks.

As for Kidd, there are three other head coaching vacancies at the moment. Orlando, Chicago and Portland are each seeking new coaches as of the moment. Kidd has a career 388-395 record as a head coach with the Nets, Bucks and Mavericks. Whether he or those respective front offices feel that there is a fit with an organization remains to be seen. It’s safe to say that he’ll likely get another shot as a head coach. Whether that comes in 2026-27 or beyond remains to be seen.