Masai Ujiri Breaks Silence on Mavs’ Stunning Jason Kidd Decision
It didn’t take long for new Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri to make his first major decision for the franchise after parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd.
A day following the move, Ujiri spoke about the difficulty in letting Kidd go.
“What he’s done for this organization we truly respect, so this was a very, very tough decision,” Ujiri said via ESPN. “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 are moving off Kidd despite him having four years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract. The Hall of Famer spent five seasons at the helm with Dallas, where he posted a 205-205 record and guided the team to two deep playoff runs, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2024.
However, the Mavericks struggled to gather their footing last season, finishing with a 26-56 record.
Dallas was marred by injuries, with oft-injured big man Anthony Davis struggling to stay on the court, while Kyrie Irving missed the entire season while recovering from a torn ACL.
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There was the emergence of rookie Cooper Flagg, but the Mavericks looked far from being a playoff contender. Dallas also chose to trade Davis to the Washington Wizards before the trade deadline to create financial flexibility to construct a roster around Flagg.
Under Ujiri, the Mavericks are heading in a new direction, aiming to build sustained success with their new franchise cornerstone.
