Former NBA Player Blasts Jason Kidd After His Mavericks Firing

The Dallas Mavericks had it all out in front of them. All- NBA and All-Star guard Luka Doncic was the reigning NBA scoring champion, and he led the Mavericks on a tear through the Western Conference — the last team to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in a playoff series — to reach the 2024 NBA Finals. While the Mavericks lost the Finals to the Boston Celtics in five games, it was still considered a wildly successful season, mostly because it was assumed that Doncic would be around to win rings in Dallas for years to come.

Head coach Jason Kidd even got a contract extension out of it. Then, roughly eight months later, in February 2025, the Mavericks inexplicably traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Dallas finished last season 39-43 and this season 26-56, and not a trace of the blockbuster Doncic trade remains.

General manager Nico Harrison was fired last November. Davis was traded to Washington this February. And now, Kidd is out as head coach.

DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 23: Head coach Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the first half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported Tuesday that Kidd and the Mavericks had mutually parted ways, even though Kidd has four years and over $40 million left on his contract. The move seems to have been the call of newly hired team president Masai Ujiri.