According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, confirmed by the Dallas Mavericks, both the organization and (now) former head coach Jason Kidd have decided to mutually part ways. This comes after Dallas have decided to clean house and rebuild their front office from the ground up.
Since firing controversial general manager Nico Harrison a couple months ago, they’ve hired Masai Ujiri as president of basketball operations this offseason with Mike Schmitz as general manager.
Ujiri wanted a blank, new canvas to help restore the Mavericks as a top team in their respective conference.
Kidd had four seasons and roughly $40 million remaining on his contract before his shocking depature from the team. Following the firing of Harrison, Kidd voiced interest in a promotion to president of basketball operations, but owner Patrick Dumont said he would not be considered for that position.
“Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals,” said Ujiri. “We are thankful for Jason’s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I’ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an important part of the Mavericks family.”
“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. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”
