Masai Ujiri says Mavs 'needed a clean slate to go forward,' have 'huge curiosity' to see Kyrie Irving with Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks became the latest NBA franchise to move on from a head coach this season on Tuesday when they announced they mutually agreed to part ways with Jason Kidd . While meeting with reporters a day later, new Mavericks president and alternate governor Masai Ujiri respectfully characterized that personnel change differently. “I think it's very fair to say this decision is on me,” Ujiri said of Kidd’s dismissal in a Wednesday news conference .

“I don't want to put that on any player in any way, and nobody else in this organization. ” Ujiri, who previously helped construct the Toronto Raptors’ first-ever NBA championship roster, explained that he and new Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz have been taking a hard look at the organization, from top to bottom. The 55-year-old Ujiri described firing Kidd as a “very, very tough decision” but one that was solely his and that he takes responsibility for.

Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament Masai Ujiri on his talks with Jason Kidd that led to the decision to part ways: “I think a new slate was a good way to look at this because I feel sometimes in this organization we needed clarity on where we’re going rather than sometimes a lot of things in the mix. We needed… pic. twitter.

com/B6VEN2SH7r — Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) May 20, 2026 Kidd’s removal comes on the heels of his fifth season as Dallas’ head coach. A Basketball Hall of Famer, Kidd began his illustrious, 19-season playing career with the Mavericks, who took him with the No. 2 overall pick out of California in the 1994 draft.