Jason Kidd OUT! Who will be the Mavs' next HC?

[Winter]

just listening to press conference, it certainly seems like Kyrie isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

1. Finley in discussions about his role
2. Will keep at least a couple of coaches but never said which ones
3. Seemed like he had good discussions with Kidd and told Kidd the direction the team was going and Kidd made the decision to leave. I'm paraphrasing but that's what it sounded like.

This guy is incredibly comfortable in a press conference.

And yes, it seems like he wants to see Kyrie and Flagg play together.

[Smitty]

just listening to press conference, it certainly seems like Kyrie isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

@_abigaiiiil
Masai Ujiri speaks on the future of Kyrie Irving in Dallas after the departure of HC, Jason Kidd.

“Kevin Durant once told me that there's only one Kyrie Irving walking around in the world.

I think we have to figure out a way, how Kyrie fits with our program. I've had those conversations with Kyrie, up till yesterday and I think Kyrie will fit. There's a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Cooper Flagg … and I think we owe that organization that we owe this organization.”

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Good

I dont think I could make it through another season with the guard play we had last year.  If the team is under .500 at the trade deadline, revisit the Kyrie situation. Also, if they draft a rookie PG, Kyrie can help him for at least half a season.

[Chicagojk]

He is very personable and answers each question honestly.  Although, he has the skill of answering a question honestly but really not giving anything away.    

Letting people go is always tough, but he appears to have done it with care as much as possible.    It seems like the Mavs always bumbled stuff like this.  It is hard.  i get it.   Although it seems like when people leave here it mostly ends weird.

[Chicagojk]

Again, he holds his cards close to the vest.   

A lot of mention of Cooper and Kyrie.  He mentioned Lively in the past with other young players.   He has not made any public mention of PJ, Gafford or Marshall (Klay too).  Could be something or could be nothing.

[Smitty]

https://scoopb.com/2026/05/the-domino-ef...minnesota/


While the team’s public press release framed the split as a sterile, “mutual decision,” the reality behind the scenes paints a far more dramatic picture. According to a league source, the breakdown wasn’t about a multi-year audit or differences in rebuilding strategies. The source shared simply and directly:

“He wanted out.”


Imagine a world where Jason Kidd becomes the next head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves—and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo follows him to the Twin Cities.

It sounds like pure fan fiction, but when asked about the possibility, a trusted league fixture shared an eye-opening perspective: “Not out of the question.”


Interestingly, Minnesota isn’t the only place where Kidd has been courted with executive power. Sources indicate that Kidd is incredibly friendly with Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon. Through backchannels, feelers were put out to Kidd concerning the notion of coaching the Blazers while simultaneously maintaining a powerful front-office role.

While Kidd initially declined the overtures because he was making more money as the head man in Dallas, the landscape has completely changed. With no job and a burning desire for a dual coach/executive role, one has to wonder if Kidd will seriously reconsider Dundon’s offer in Portland if the Minnesota dream doesn’t materialize.


Kyrie Irving’s name is being loudly whispered. A well-placed and respected NBA fixture shared a firm belief that a healthy Irving is the exact missing piece to get Minnesota over the Conference Finals hump:

“Irving in Minnesota makes the Timberwolves a contender. The combination of Anthony Edwards and Kyrie Irving is potent enough to legitimately contend in the West.”

Crucially, the interest is mutual. Anthony Edwards is reportedly privately sharing that he would love teaming up with Irving in Minnesota, advocating heavily for the move behind the scenes. “Ant has a mutual respect for Kyrie and for what he’s done in this league,” a Timberwolves source with knowledge of the situation noted. “If Kyrie came, it would be sweet.”

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I saw that earlier but I have no idea who ScoopB is. Reliable?

[Smitty]

I saw that earlier but I have no idea who ScoopB is.  Reliable?

No idea. I would have to lean no, just because I've also never heard of him. Not that I know who's who. This is his bio on the website:

"Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson is a columnist at Basketball Society. Follow him on Twitter: @ScoopB and Instagram: @Scoop_B. As a 12 year old, he was a Nets reporter from 1997-1999, co-hosting a show called Nets Slammin’ Planet with former Nets legend, Albert King, WFAN’s Evan Roberts and Nets play-by-play man Chris Carrino. Scoop B has also been a writer and radio host at CBS, a staff writer at The Source Magazine and managing editor/columnist at RESPECT Magazine. He’s a graduate of Don Bosco Prep, Eastern University and Hofstra University. You can catch him daily on the Scoop B Radio Podcast"

[michaeltex]

Trading with Minny doesn't get much in the way of draft capital. They have a 1st this year, 28th from a swap with DET and a couple of 2nds. Not much beyond that. No FRP next year and a bunch of following years that are tied up in swap rights.

Don't know what incentive DAL would have to make the trade.

[Chicagojk]

Trading with Minny doesn't get much in the way of draft capital. They have a 1st this year, 28th from a swap with DET and a couple of 2nds. Not much beyond that. No FRP next year and a bunch of following years that are tied up in swap rights.

Don't know what incentive DAL would have to make the trade.

It seems like a Kyrie trade is unlikely at this stage.  I saw a Minny writer do a trade where Charlotte gets Gobert, Minny gets Kyrie and Dallas gets Bridges, Grant Williams, their 27 first back and pick 28 in this draft.   I don't think that would interest me. 

Also, Mil just needs help.   They need to just rip the band aid off.   Move Giannis, get a new GM and move on.

[cow]

I wouldn't read into Kyrie comments as you wouldn't want to do anything to damage his trade value.  It feels weird to have to say that, but the previous regimes did not operate using common sense so at least that is a feather in Massi's cap. I doubt anyone is going to knock your socks off with a trade offer before the season/seeing him on the court again and before other dominos fall (Giannis) so I expect he'll be here until at least the TDL, and personally, hopefully longer.

[mvossman]

@_abigaiiiil
Masai Ujiri speaks on the future of Kyrie Irving in Dallas after the departure of HC, Jason Kidd.

“Kevin Durant once told me that there's only one Kyrie Irving walking around in the world.

I think we have to figure out a way, how Kyrie fits with our program. I've had those conversations with Kyrie, up till yesterday and I think Kyrie will fit. There's a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Cooper Flagg … and I think we owe that organization that we owe this organization.”

I read this as "he will probably have more trade value at the TDL".

[Smitty]

@MavsFilmRoom
“It’s my understanding Phil Handy is still in place.”

Marc Stein on the DLLS Mavs show

[khaled1987]

New coach should be the one who decides which assistant stays and who to go. The same way Masai picked his guys for front office

[CooPerFan]

Mavs should go for sean sweeny

[Chicagojk]

https://x.com/mikeacurtis2/status/205715...11922?s=46

[KillerLeft]

Finally got through the Ujiri press conference. My takeaways:

1) It's being reported as a "mutual decision," and I'm sure it was, to an extent. We know Kidd wanted Ujiri's job, and I assume the frustration was compounded when Schmitz, too, was placed above him having never been a GM before. And, the wording of things might/might not have something to do with how much of his contract Kidd still has coming. But, I sure got the sense that Ujiri made the ultimate decision here, not that Kidd "quit." I think in this case, "mutual" might actually be accurate.

2) I agree with those who came away feeling like Ujiri wants to see Kyrie on the court with the Mavs. When I read those comments (before I watched the presser) I wondered if it was gamesmanship to drive up his value, and I suppose it might have been, but Ujiri's praise was effusive and his excitement seemed genuine. If he's playing mind games on the league, they worked on me. I kinda think Kyrie starts the year in Dallas, at least.

3) He confirmed what I've long suspected: Finley has been running the team's scouting these past couple of seasons. I don't know that this has ever been stated publicly before now, but it makes sense, and this is the one area of the organization that I feel has been going well. The types of players they've been finding these past 2-3 seasons for their 2-way slots...10-day contracts to fill in for injuries, etc. That stuff has been noticeably improved over the Nelson era. They've found a series of intriguing guys with athletic gifts, and while they haven't had one totally pan out yet (Brandon Williams is the closest), there have been a lot of them discussed here as potential solutions for one roster hole or another, moving forward over the past couple of summers. I would not be surprised if Finley is retained in the scouting department.

4) There was quite a bit of semi-coded reasoning for the moves he's making during Ujiri's wrap-up. Lots of "the fight isn't in here, it's out there" and "we all need to be on the same page and communicate" and "we're going to communicate with you, the media, and the fans the right way." I got the sense that Ujiri identified right away that there has been a lot of political angling and in-fighting around here for a long time, and that job number 1 is to get rid of all of that.

[KillerLeft]

Ujiri continues to impress, in my opinion. I'm really liking where this is headed. Excited!

[Chicagojk]

My theory from the start (with no proof) is Kidd grew frustrated with Luka and was ok looking to trade him.  You heard rumors that Dallas reached out to Min and Mil fishing for a trade.  Reports differ if Luka was ever brought up but it was rumored Dallas called and asked about Ant and Giannis.  They didn't catch anything so they moved on without having deeper conversations.    I believe this was in line for what Kidd was looking for if they traded Luka.  While I believe he liked AD, I think Nico went a little rogue on that one.  Either with the full trade or accepting a lesser offer.  So he had some plausible deniability that was truthful, but with a lot of grey.   Luka definitely think Kidd was involved.   Someday there will be books with different stories on the trade.   


https://x.com/MavsFilmRoom/status/2057170203402805357

[KillerLeft]

My theory from the start (with no proof) is Kidd grew frustrated with Luka and was ok looking to trade him.  You heard rumors that Dallas reached out to Min and Mil fishing for a trade.  Reports differ if Luka was ever brought up but it was rumored Dallas called and asked about Ant and Giannis.  They didn't catch anything so they moved on without having deeper conversations.    I believe this was in line for what Kidd was looking for if they traded Luka.  While I believe he liked AD, I think Nico went a little rogue on that one.  Either with the full trade or accepting a lesser offer.  So he had some plausible deniability that was truthful, but with a lot of grey.   Luka definitely think Kidd was involved.   Someday there will be books with different stories on the trade.   


https://x.com/MavsFilmRoom/status/2057170203402805357

I do think the Luka trade, and Kidd's involvement in it, played a part here. But, when they talk about "in-fighting," I think what they're dancing around is that Kidd has been increasingly focused on finding angles to position himself higher and higher in the front office. We know that the original plan was for Harrison to be promoted to president, Kidd to become GM and then Sweeney to become Head Coach. Like, we basically know that. Where that plan went off the rails, I don't think we know, but there's smoke out there that when Sweeney left it was about Harrison, and multiple people have said some variation of "if Harrison had been the sole decision maker last summer, Kidd would've become the head coach of the Knicks." So...yeah, things had gotten pretty weird by then, I think it's safe to say. 

I think this coaching change (from the POV's of both Kidd and the organization) was about Kidd being more interested in the jobs Ujiri and Schmitz just got than actually coaching the team. I think all involved recognized that, and for Ujiri's part I believe he rightly recognized that the first step in healing the organization is to build a structure in which everyone was focused on doing their own job and excited about working together as a team. I think keeping Kidd around would've been an invitation for more in-fighting, backstabbing and manipulation.

EDIT: I don't know how the Sweeney thing played out, exactly, but I kind of think he's an extreme long shot to be the next head coach here.