Dallas Mavericks make another surprising move a year after Luka Doncic’s trade

The Dallas Mavericks are changing direction again, and this time it comes from the bench. Less than two years after reaching the NBA Finals and barely a year removed from the franchise-altering Luka Doncic trade, Jason Kidd is out as head coach following what the organization called a mutual decision. For a franchise that once looked stable around Doncic, the last 18 months have turned into a blur of front-office shakeups, roster resets, and missed expectations.

Kidd’s departure arrived shortly after new team president Masai Ujiri took control of basketball operations. That timing matters. Patrick Dumont had previously backed Kidd publicly, even giving him a contract extension during Dallas’ Finals run in 2024. Yet with the Mavericks stumbling to a 26-56 season and the franchise searching for a fresh identity around Cooper Flagg, Ujiri wasted little time making his first major move.

Jason Kidd out as a Dallas Mavericks coach

The decision closes a five-year run that was far more complicated than Kidd’s even 205-205 regular-season record suggests. Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and made an unexpected trip to the NBA Finals in 2024 under Kidd’s leadership. At the same time, the final years of his tenure became tied to one of the most chaotic periods in franchise history.


The Mavericks stunned the league when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025. Kidd repeatedly insisted he learned about the move in “the 11th hour,” even after former minority owner Mark Cuban publicly suggested otherwise. Sources also indicated Kidd had pushed for a larger role in basketball operations after Nico Harrison’s firing, though ownership ultimately moved in another direction by hiring Ujiri.

Do the Dallas Mavericks have a new coach?

During his introductory press conference earlier this month, Ujiri hardly sounded committed to keeping Kidd long term.

"He's done a great job, but we are going to look at this thing from head to toe," Ujiri said. "That's the right way to look at an organization and evaluate in every single way we can."

That evaluation quickly led to a reset.

"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 a statement. "We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention."

The move also changes the future for Cooper Flagg, who reportedly built a strong connection with Kidd after arriving as the No. 1 overall pick and eventual Rookie of the Year. Kidd had openly discussed his excitement about developing the young star, but that responsibility now shifts elsewhere.

For Dallas, the bigger question remains unanswered. One year after moving on from Doncic, the Mavericks are still searching for stability. They need a new coach to make things right.

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