Two weeks in the past, new Dallas Mavericks workforce president Masai Ujiri declined to decide to retaining head coach Jason Kidd. Tuesday, Ujiri and the Mavericks fired Kidd after 5 seasons.
Kidd took the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 and reached the Western Convention Finals in 2022. After two injury-plagued years left the Mavs out of the playoffs, Ujiri can be shifting ahead together with his personal most popular head coach.
Masai Ujiri poised to make dramatic modifications to Dallas Mavericks
Shams Charania reported that Kidd has 4 years and greater than $40M left on his contract. The Mavericks gave Kidd a number of contract extensions when different NBA groups expressed curiosity in poaching the Corridor of Fame level guard.
Now they’re prepared to eat a large quantity of wage to let Ujiri select a brand new coach.
Not solely is Ujiri one of the revered executives within the NBA, successful a title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, however he is recognized for making huge strikes. As Denver Nuggets basic supervisor, he put collectively the commerce that despatched Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, resulting in a 57-win Nuggets season in 2012-13. With the Raptors, he traded franchise icon DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard earlier than their championship season.
It is notable that Ujiri changed Raptors head coach Dwane Casey with Nick Nurse the identical summer time because the Leonard commerce, though he had simply gained Coach of the 12 months.
Jason Kidd is a relic of Luka Doncic period
The Mavericks compelled their very own rebuild with the disastrous commerce sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis early in 2024. Then, they bought the No. 1 choose within the 2024 draft and added generational expertise Cooper Flagg, who can be solely 19 years outdated when subsequent season begins.
After months of protests and chants of “Fireplace Nico!” the Mavericks dismissed basic supervisor Nico Harrison. They despatched Davis to the Washington Wizards in a wage dump on the commerce deadline. Now the pinnacle coach is gone, too, an indication that Ujiri and the Mavs are prepared to maneuver on from everybody from the Luka Period.
Do not be stunned if Ujiri tries to maneuver most of the Mavericks veterans, who had been excellent for pushing for a title alongside Doncic however on a really completely different timeline as Flagg. PJ Washington, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Daniel Gafford may all be carrying completely different uniforms subsequent season. Even Kyrie Irving, 14 years older than Flagg, could possibly be on the transfer.
It is clear that the Mavericks are Flagg’s workforce. After Tuesday’s huge transfer, it is also clear that Ujiri is definitively in cost.
