Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd wants to ‘move on’ but his presence is an issue
Jason Kidd has implored Dallas Mavericks fans to “move on” from the trade that changed the franchise, but this particular message can be hard to hear when it’s delivered by this messenger.
Even if the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks had nothing to do with the trade of Luka Doncic to the L.A. Lakers, which blew up in a way pro sports has seldom seen, Kidd was the second-most visible part of the organization when it happened.
Kidd has denied, repeatedly, he knew anything about this deal until minutes before it was executed, but as this franchise moves forward it will need to decide if retaining him is in its best interest.
Excluding team owner Patrick Dumont, two of the three primary characters involved in the trade are gone, but Kidd. The fans essentially fired GM Nico Harrison last November, and the team traded Anthony Davis to Washington in February.
The Mavs are under no unofficial referendum to ax Kidd. For an organization that is looking to hire a new GM, changing out coaches will be a discussion.
As it should be; the team is terrible. Other than rookie Cooper Flagg, everyone should be available. Can this team truly “move on” with Kidd on the sidelines? It would be a surprise if Kidd is not back, but this is the same team that traded Luka Doncic to the L.A. Lakers for what amounts to Max Christie.
The Mavericks’ season ended on Sunday night before nearly a full house at the American Airlines Center in a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls. Props to the fans who came out to support a team that missed the playoffs for the second straight year, and finished with 26 wins for their worst season since 2017-18, the year before they acquired Doncic.
Kidd is not the problem, but a new GM may decide they would be better off with a different head coach.
Why the Dallas Mavericks would fire Jason Kidd
To start over.
Now that this trash season is thankfully finished, the first priority for owner Patrick Dumont is to hire a GM. They currently have Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley as co-GMs, and while they both may be considered for the job, neither is considered a front-runner.
An assortment of names are floating around what is an “interesting” job. The dream targets are Boston’s Brad Stevens and Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti, but those are fantasies.
Whomever Dumont hires, the person has to be empowered to build the roster and staff to his liking. That includes the head coach.
If the new GM says to Dumont, “I want my guy” he should have the power to do it, even if it is expensive (it would be). This season became about starting over, and doing that with the head coach is plausible.
Why the Dallas Mavericks would not fire Jason Kidd
Pat Riley nor Gregg Popovich could do much better with the roster that Kidd was handed when Harrison traded Doncic to L.A. for primarily Anthony Davis. Davis and Kyrie Irving played one half together, as both dealt with injuries that derailed the concept of what the Mavericks were supposed to be.
You can argue about rotations, or minutes distribution, but the talent isn’t remotely close to do much more than it did this season.
With Irving missing the entire season recovering from a torn ACL he sustained in March ‘25, the season became about the development of Flagg. Only 19, Flagg became the first NBA rookie to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals since Michael Jordan did it for the Bulls in 1984-‘85.
Kidd is 205-205 in his career as the head coach of the Mavs, with two trips to the Western Conference finals and one brief visit to the NBA Finals. Few coaches have ever had a more interesting timeline with their franchise more than Kidd has so far with the Mavs; two great playoff runs, and two seasons where they jumped in the tank.
“I’ve come to work each day; I’ve never complained,” Kidd said when I asked him why he thinks he should be the coach to help this team move on. “I try to find ways to win. To motivate. Losing sucks. It’s hard to win in this league. Just understanding going through the process, and I believe that I can help us get to the finish line, and that is to win a championship.”
He agreed to a multi-year extension with the team on Oct. 14, 2025, but the guy who gave him that deal was fired as GM the next month.
Kidd has repeatedly said he thinks the Mavs’ fans have to move on from the trade, and while he’s right, the new GM will have to decide if that is possible with him on the sidelines.
This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
