JASON Kidd has been fired as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kidd was given his marching orders from a job he had held since 2014. Milwaukee had designs on being a playoff force this season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo becoming an MVP contender and having made a mid-season trade for Drew Bledsoe, yet have slipped down the Eastern Conference seedings with a 23-22 record.

"We appreciate everything that Jason has done for the Bucks organisation, but we have decided to make a coaching change," Bucks GM Jon Horst said in a statement.

"We believe that a fresh approach and a change in leadership are needed to continue elevating our talented team towards the next level, bringing us closer to our goal of competing for championships."

Under Kidd, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139-152 and reached the first round of the NBA playoffs in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons. The story of his firing was broken by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

Kidd had borne most of the blame for the Bucks' underwhelming performances and has now paid the ultimate price. He leaves behind two Australian players on the Bucks roster: Young centre Thon Maker, drafted with pick No.10 under Kidd, and veteran point guard Matthew Dellavedova, signed as a free agent under Kidd.

While Milwaukee may bide its time, at least one other highly-regarded coach is available: Recently-fired Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, who was ousted amid a personality clash with star big man Marc Gasol.

Kidd's short tenure in Milwaukee follows a stint as coach of the Brooklyn Nets. As a player, Kidd was an NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks, a 10-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, a five-time NBA assists leader and also a dual Olympic gold medallist.