Masai Ujiri Takes Responsibility for Jason Kidd's Exit as Mavs HC, 'Very, Very Tough Decision'

Even though Jason Kidd's removal as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks was publicly presented as a mutual parting of ways, new team president Masai Ujiri admitted it was his call to make a change.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ujiri called it a "very, very tough decision" to replace Kidd as he explained being the one responsible for the move.

"What he's done for this organization we truly respect, so this was a very, very tough decision," Ujiri said. "I have to be accountable with a decision like this. I also have to be very active in how I look at the organization from top to bottom."

The Mavericks officially announced Kidd's departure on Tuesday as the two sides "mutually agreed to part ways" after five seasons.

The move came as a surprise for a variety of reasons, not least of which because Kidd signed a contract extension in October.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed at the time, but ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported after Tuesday's move that Kidd was still owed $40 million over four years.

Kidd had also been successful during his tenure in Dallas, especially given how difficult the circumstances could be at times. He led the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals in his first season in 2021-22, then an appearance in the 2023 NBA Finals.

February 2025 was when a seismic shift occurred in the organization thanks to then-general manager Nico Harrison deciding to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavs have essentially cleaned house over the past six months to start over, including firing Harrison in November and hiring Ujiri on May 4 to run the front office.

Ujiri's history and track record of success running an NBA front office from his time with the Toronto Raptors doesn't make it a total surprise that he would want to replace Kidd with a head coach of his choosing.

There's certainly some risk involved because Kidd has been effective given the circumstances around him, but Ujiri's past head-coach hirings of Nick Nurse and Darko Rajaković worked out well.

Ultimately, all that really matters in Dallas right now is the continued development of Cooper Flagg after his stellar debut season that earned him NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Flagg's presence also figures to make the Mavericks an extremely attractive destination for many coaches looking for a job this offseason.