Fresh off a first-round playoff series victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, and with coaching vacancies popping up all over their league, the Dallas Mavericks showed how much they value what Jason Kidd has built and contributed to in Dallas, signing Coach Kidd to a multi-year contract extension.
The Mavericks announced the extension on Monday, one day before they begin a second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a press release announcing the extension, Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison spoke to J-Kidd’s experience and the team’s culture as factors in the decision
“I have known Jason for a long time, and I cannot think of a better, more qualified candidate to lead this team going forward,” Mavs General Manager Nico Harrison said. “As a former NBA Champion, Hall of Fame player, Jason brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role which cannot be duplicated. He has earned the trust and respect of our players and that of so many across the league, and I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to build upon the culture and foundation of success he’s helped foster throughout his tenure as head coach.”
Indeed, the Mavericks have thrived since J-Kidd took over as head coach, accepting the baton from his former coach with the Mavs, Rick Carlisle in the summer of 2021.
In his first season at the helm, Dallas experienced a 10-win improvement, posting the franchise’s first 50-win season in seven years. But their success went beyond the regular season. In Jason’s first postseason as coach, the Mavs made a run all the way to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, where they lost to eventual NBA Champion Golden State.
After a incredible start to his tenure, the Kidd-led Mavericks hit a bump in the road during the 2022-23 season, one marred by injuries and inconsistencies. The Mavs finished six games below .500 and missed the postseason, just the second time in Jason’s 10 seasons as a head or assistant coach that the team he finished the season with did not advance to the playoffs. But despite some unfortunate outcomes on the court, the Mavs maintained a collective vision for the future and made decisions with that future in mind,
“Last year we learned a lot about character,” Kidd said. “There were a couple of pivots there late in the season and it turned out to be the right thing. At the time, everyone had their opinion. Understanding what the plan is internally, I thought we executed the plan and we were thankful to get O-Max and Lively out of that plan. But being calm and not losing your mind or being offended at what others say turned out to be the right thing.”
The Mavericks did take one important step in the right direction that season, striking a mid-season trade for star point guard Kyrie Irving. Though the 2022-23 Mavs didn’t have the results on the court that many expected, J-Kidd and his staff did enough to convince Irving to put down roots in Dallas. This past offseason, Irving and the Mavs struck a long term deal to pair him with Luka Doncic, giving Big D a two-headed backcourt monster.
“J-Kidd has coached some of the greatest of all time. He played with some of the greatest of all-time,” Irving said. “So, for me as a young player, that’s all I’ve ever wanted was that mentorship and guidance. I didn’t want to be lost out here to the lifestyle, to the distractions, to a lot of the unrealistic expectations and the pressures that you put on yourself. So, yeah, I’m thankful I have Nico and J-Kidd in my life.”
With two stars in tow, the 2023-24 Mavs set out to prove last season was a fluke. While they were doing that, Harrison made a few more trades, bringing in veterans P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. Coach Kidd’s ability to seamlessly incorporate those two into the lineup, where they quickly became key pieces, did not go unnoticed and Gafford credits Coach Kidd’s ability to manage personalities as a big reason why.
“(It’s) obviously well deserved. One of the, I would say, best coaches this year from what I’ve been seeing. Just real poised, knows how to assert himself and assert the dominance in the locker room whenever we need to get our heads going straight,” Gafford said. “There’s times where I’ve shown a lot of frustrations and shown my feelings on my sleeves out on the cour. He tells me to just keep going, keep doing the things that I’m doing on an elite level, and just kind of be consistent with it. That’s pretty much the best advice he can give me at this point right now.”
This season, the Mavs won 50 regular season games for the second time in Jason’s three seasons as coach and have continued to prosper thus far in the postseason, giving Dallas’ front office every reason to keep the band together.
“We are excited to have Coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension,” Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont said. “Kidd led our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons, and we are looking forward to his leadership in continuing to build and grow this already great franchise.”
For Coach Kidd, it’s all about bringing the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Dallas for the first time since his crowning achievement as a player in 2011. The Mavericks truly believe this could be the year, and they’re ready to battle like it. But J-Kidd is comfortable knowing that, even if that doesn’t happen, the Mavs front office and coaching staffs have a shared vision for the future of the franchise that will give them repeated opportunities to pursue that elusive title.
“We’re trying to win a championship,” Kidd said. “We have an opportunity. We’re playing a very talented team in Oklahoma City. But understanding that the foundation is being built and our ultimate goal is to win a championship, and hopefully we can do that here in the next three years.”