Dallas Mavericks, head coach Jason Kidd mutually agree to part ways
A couple of weeks after the new president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, was hired, the established head coach was out.
In a sudden change of direction, Jason Kidd is out as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. In a statement, the team announced that the sides mutually agreed to part ways. The move comes just 15 days after it was announced that Dallas had hired Masai Ujiri as the team's new head of basketball operations.
"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 Mavericks President Masai Ujiri in a statement announcing the move. "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. " At his introductory press conference, Ujiri was noncommittal about Kidd's future with the team, saying the plan was to review every level of the organization and proceed from there. The Mavericks will now start a "comprehensive search" for Kidd's replacement.
This will be a highly coveted job because Dallas has Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg on the roster to build around. "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 in his statement. "We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention.