Mavericks re-sign key piece for the long term amid playoff success

Coming hot off of a first-round victory over the LA Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks are hard at work in preparation for their second-round series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dallas’ playoff series versus the Clippers shouldn’t be swept under the rug completely as there were plenty of things to extract from the series, but it should be noted that this Thunder team will likely give the Mavericks a much tougher run for their money than the Kawhi-less Clippers.

The Mavericks’ upper brass instilled the utmost trust in Dallas’ coaching staff as well as the roster acquisitions they’ve made over the last calendar year to push this team far above the abysmal 38-44 record that the Mavericks finished with in the 2022-23 season. Whether or not the Mavericks have constructed a team that is ready for a championship will be something that we see unfold in the coming weeks, but plenty of people and analysts would label Dallas’ season as a huge success already when you take into consideration where this team was at the end of the last season.

Mavericks re-sign Jason Kidd for the long term amid playoff success

With that being said, the Mavericks decided to ensure that one of their key pieces which has helped prompt their recent playoff success will be around to stay for the coming years. On Monday morning, it was announced that the Mavericks have signed head coach Jason Kidd to a multi-year contract extension, something that seemed like a far-fetch to ever occur when one considers that the Mavericks were jousting for seeding position in play-in territory earlier this season.

Kidd has been the scapegoat for many of the Mavericks woes over the last three seasons since he's arrived back in Dallas, as fans and analysts alike have often critiqued his situational in-game adjustments as well as his rotations. However, Kidd has done a great job at shutting out outside noise, and he's choosing to remain loyal to the Mavericks despite other opportunities.

Despite one losing season since assuming the role of Mavericks head coach, Kidd has led the Mavericks to two 50-plus win seasons as well as a Western Conference Finals appearance, with another Western Conference Finals appearance potentially looming this season for Dallas. It can also be argued that the Mavericks didn't give Kidd the best shot at making the playoffs with how poorly the Mavericks' roster was constructed in the 2022-23 season, so instilling trust in Kidd during the playoffs was a smart and timely move by Dallas' upper brass.

Kidd certainly isn't blame free for some of Dallas' issues over the past three seasons, but he's a player-first coach who has started to make the right adjustment more often than not compared to when he first landed in Dallas three seasons ago, so this was a smart move by Dallas' upper management.

While the outcome of Dallas' second-round series versus the Thunder could deter some of the sentiment Kidd is getting from fans if the Mavericks get bounced out of the series quickly, it cannot be denied that Kidd has adapted from his Brooklyn and Milwaukee days into becoming a solid NBA coach and a point of continuity for the Mavericks.

For more on Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned as we will have you covered throughout the entirety of the Mavericks' run in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.