Mavericks Fire Jason Kidd With $40 Million Left, Fueling Luka Doncic Return Rumors
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 20
Mavericks Fire Jason Kidd With $40 Million Left, Fueling Luka Doncic Return Rumors
21 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 20
More than four years and over $40 million remained on Jason Kidd’s contract when Dallas let him go, a move owner Patrick Dumont authorized after giving new president Masai Ujiri control.
The shakeup has intensified talk that the Mavericks are trying to reopen a path to Luka Doncic, whose relationship with Kidd had frayed and whom Ujiri is reportedly known to admire.
Dallas has already overhauled much of the leadership tied to the Doncic trade, firing former GM Nico Harrison and now Kidd, while keeping much of the roster intact around Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington.
Kidd’s case weakened after the trade fallout: he posted a .563 winning percentage before moving Doncic and just .339 afterward, despite reaching the 2024 NBA Finals earlier in his tenure.
Any reunion remains speculative because Doncic is under a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers through 2027-28, even as fans note he still owns a home in Dallas.
Was Jason Kidd the final scapegoat for the Doncic trade, or a necessary casualty for the Mavericks' franchise reset?
Can new president Masai Ujiri build a contender around Cooper Flagg after the franchise's disastrous Luka Doncic trade and failed rebuild?