Masai Ujiri is making his presence felt with the Dallas Mavericks already.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s new president parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd, the franchise announced Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n
Kidd had four years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract, per ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania.<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cJason 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,\u201d Ujiri said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cWe are thankful for Jason\u2019s leadership, his professionalism and his commitment to the team. In my short time here, I\u2019ve developed an enormous amount of respect for what he has built. He will always be an important part of the Mavericks family.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidd, 53, won an NBA championship with the team as a player (2011). He coached the Mavericks for five seasons, taking the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024. Dallas finished 26-56 this season.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,\u201d Ujiri said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Former Dallas GM Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic at the deadline in 2025 in what is considered by many among the worst trades in NBA history, if not the worst.<\/p>\n The Mavericks then proceeded to win the NBA Draft Lottery and earned the right to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg last summer. Flagg, who enjoyed a close relationship with Kidd, went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors.<\/a><\/p>\n