On Tuesday, it was announced that the Mavericks and head coach Jason Kidd had mutually agreed to part ways. On Thursday morning, Kidd issued a statement thanking the team with which he spent the last five seasons (Twitter link).
“I want to sincerely thank the Mavericks organization, the players, coaches, staff, front office, ownership, and every employee behind the scenes who put their heart into this team every single day. It has been an honor to work alongside so many incredible people,” he said. “To the players, thank you for your trust, your commitment, and the battles we went through together. I am proud of what we uilt, the relationships formed, and the way you competed night in and night out.”
He finished by thanking the fanbase and the city of Dallas.
The Hall of Fame point guard finished his time in Dallas with a 205-205 record, a number brought down by the last two seasons, which were beset by injuries as well as the trade of Luka Doncic. The team went to the 2024 NBA Finals as well as the 2022 Western Conference Finals.
We have more notes from the Mavs:
- One name that has been particularly linked to the Mavs in their search for a new head coach is Spurs’ associate head coach Sean Sweeney, per Clutch Point’s Brett Siegel (Twitter link). Sweeney has also been listed as a candidate for the Bulls’ head coach opening, and is considered a potential target for the Magic as well, though they have been heavily linked to former Bulls coach Billy Donovan. Sweeney, who has long been considered a top assistant ready to take the next step to leading his own team, has been an assistant coach in the league since 2013, including spending four seasons with the Mavericks before getting hired as Associate Head Coach by the Spurs this season.
- When it comes to who else will be considered to be the next Mavs’ head coach, new president Masai Ujiri has said that he plans to cast a wide net. One possibility, according to Siegel, is Duke coach Jon Scheyer, though he is considered to be committed to his current role in college basketball. Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Frank Vogel (Mavs), and currently unsigned Tom Thibodeau and Donovan are all other possible candidates to keep an eye on, Mike Curtis speculates for the Dallas Morning News.
- As part of the organizational shake-up that comes with new leadership, Rafael Barlowe is no longer with the team after nearly a year of serving as an international scout for the team, Barlowe confirmed on Twitter. Prior to his time in Dallas, Barlowe had worked as Scouting Director for the draft site NBA Big Board.