Masai Ujiri's first must-make move with the Mavericks is obvious

After being hired as the Dallas Mavericks' new president and alternate governor this week, Masai Ujiri has an obvious first move to make. While many head decision-makers typically look to handpick a new head coach when taking over a team's basketball operations department, Ujiri should stand pat when it comes to Jason Kidd and his staff.

Jason Kidd is the last thing Masai Ujiri should change in Dallas

Since being hired by the Mavericks in 2021, Kidd has helped lead Dallas to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024. Both playoff runs were the most successful Dallas had been in the postseason since 2011, and Kidd has built something special here over the last couple of seasons.

His players love playing for him, he has an incredible staff behind him, and he knows how to win at the highest level. This can't be said about many coaches, and being a strong players' coach can't be glossed over. It's hard to have every player on your bench to commit to your philosophy fully, and Kidd seemingly always gets his guys to buy in. When he has the right roster, he always gets the most out of them.

Having a Hall-of-Fame point guard coach your team is a privilege that not many teams have, and he built a special bond with Cooper Flagg during his rookie season. Kidd threw Flagg into the fire by starting him at point guard to begin the season, and while this came with some undeniable growing pains, Flagg became a stronger player because of it.

He was more comfortable with the ball in his hands, especially during the clutch, due to Kidd challenging him early, and Kidd's blueprint for success for Flagg turned into a masterclass. This was exemplified by his Rookie of the Year win over Kon Knueppel, and Ujiri should prioritize Flagg's future development by keeping Kidd around.

Kidd's staff is too special to give up on

It wouldn't be easy for the 19-year-old star to have to play for a new coach right as he begins his second season, and the Mavericks' staff this past season was special, despite their record not showing it. Kidd had Popeye Jones, Frank Vogel, and Jay Triano on the front row of the bench, with Triano and Vogel both having prior head-coaching experience in the NBA. He also had Phil Handy, one of the best skills coaches in the NBA, as an assistant coach.

It's not easy to build a premier staff like this, and Ujiri should at least give Kidd and his staff a chance before bringing in an entirely new coaching staff. It would be easy for Ujiri to bring in his own head coach, but this would cause the Mavericks to take a step back rather than forward. He has built champions before, and in this situation, doing nothing is the smartest move.

This will be one of the many questions that Ujiri is asked during his introductory press conference today, and we should have a much better idea about his philosophy for the current staff when he speaks. Kidd's multiple contract extensions over the last few seasons show how the Mavericks feel about him, and with Patrick Dumont's fondness for him, it wouldn't be a shock if he continues as the team's head coach.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow