Masai Ujiri did not wait long. Less than a month after taking over as Mavericks president, Ujiri parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd. The Cooper Flagg era in Dallas just got its real start.
“Every decision we are going to make here is going to be future-based,” Ujiri said at his introductory press conference earlier this month. “We have a 19-year-old generational player on our roster, and we have to think that way. We’re not going to make decisions based on winning today.”
That is the cleanest mission statement any new NBA executive has delivered in years. It is also a polite way of saying the Nico Harrison era is dead and buried.
Kidd coached the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. He oversaw five seasons in Dallas. None of that mattered once Harrison shipped Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Ujiri walked in to clean up the mess. Kidd’s contract structure made him expendable, and the new front office wanted its own voice on the sideline.
Flagg is the only person whose opinion really matters now. The first overall pick averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals as a rookie and walked off with Rookie of the Year. Pairing him with Kyrie Irving for one more season makes Dallas one of the most fascinating watches in the West, even if the roster has gaping holes.
Ujiri said Wednesday he has “huge curiosity” in seeing Flagg play with Kyrie. He also made clear that the long-term plan is bigger than this fit. Kyrie is 34. Anthony Davis is 33. P.J. Washington is the right age but the wrong fit for a rebuild around an 19-year-old wing.
That means the next coaching hire matters more than any move Ujiri makes in free agency. He needs someone who will develop Flagg, give him the ball, and build the offense around what the rookie does best. Names already in circulation include former Raptors coach Nick Nurse, who has a relationship with Ujiri from Toronto, and former Sixers boss Doc Rivers.
The Mavericks also have decisions to make at the trade deadline. Davis is the obvious chip if Dallas wants to accelerate the youth movement. Ujiri pulled off Kawhi Leonard for DeMar DeRozan in Toronto. He knows how to flip an aging star for the right return.
The reaction in Dallas has been brutal for ownership all year. The “Bury me and J” Nico Harrison quote keeps resurfacing. Ujiri’s job is to make fans forget that quote ever existed by handing them a 25-win season with the most exciting teenager in the league and the promise that the next pick belongs to the Mavericks instead of the Lakers.
This was a necessary firing. Kidd is going to land somewhere good, probably fast. The Knicks could come calling if Thibs gets bounced. The Lakers will probably take a long look. Coaches like him do not stay unemployed.
The Mavericks needed a clean break. Ujiri delivered one. Now he has to find the coach who turns Cooper Flagg into the second face of the league.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
