It was just a matter of time, and on Monday, May 6, the Dallas Mavericks signed head coach Jason Kidd to a multi-year contract extension.
The Mavericks released a statement via their PR email, with Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont stating “We are excited to have Coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension. 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.”
It’s a savvy move by the Mavericks, as Kidd’s name had been floating around in NBA coaching rumors, as a potential replacement for recently fired Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.
Jason Kidd’s Coaching Career
Kidd’s coaching career started rather unremarkably, leading the ill-fated 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets “super team” to a second-round playoff exit, before heading to the Milwaukee Bucks. Kidd’s most memorable moment of the season ended up being a cheap stunt to bend the rules.
In his 3.5 years with the Bucks, Kidd was gifted with 20-year-old soon-to-be superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, yet his team had to sneak into the playoffs twice (being bounced twice in the first round), they missed the playoffs once and then Kidd was relieved of his duties after 45 games in his fourth year.
After a two-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach, Kidd would join the Mavericks for the 2021-22 season, with another chance to mentor a young soon-to-be superstar in Luka Doncic. In his first seasons, Kidd amassed 52 regular season wins and a trip to the Western Conference Finals, losing in five games to the Golden State Warriors. After an injury-marred 2022-23, the Mavericks won 50 regular season games in 2023-24, earning the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
While Kidd hasn’t won the NBA Coach of the Year award (four-time winner of Coach of the Month), his coaching career is on an upward trajectory, with 140 regular season wins in the last three seasons.
The Future of the Dallas Mavericks
As the Mavs prepare for their Western Conference Semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, there’s clear reason for optimism, and the contract extension makes a ton of sense. Doncic has blossomed under Kidd, leading the NBA in scoring at 33.9 points per game in 2023-24, adding in 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.4 steals.
The Mavs aren’t flush with cap space heading into the offseason, but they have Doncic locked up for two more years (player option in year three), Irving for one more year (player option in year two) to go with reasonably-priced contracts locking up PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber for a minimum of two more seasons. Tim Hardaway Jr. has just one year left on his deal.
In a vacuum, the Mavericks are in fantastic shape to compete. They’ve got a young MVP candidate in Doncic, they have a former NBA Champion still near the top of his game in Kyrie Irving, and nearly every contributing member of the roster is signed through 2024-25. The only negative is that the Mavericks don’t have a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Their core is locked up for multiple seasons and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Doncic could be the NBA’s best player in the next few years. Kidd’s contract extension ensures he’ll get a front-row seat to see it happen.
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