Mavericks' Jason Kidd Tries to Brush Off Mark Cuban's Comments on Luka Doncic Trade

It has been more than a year since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of the night for seemingly no other reason than Nico Harrison's ego getting in the way. For the longest time, it seemed like he acted alone in convincing Patrick Dumont to do the trade, but Mark Cuban refuted that on Tuesday, saying Jason Kidd played a role in that, too.

"I think there was animosity between our former general manager and some people on Luka's team, his agent, some people that worked around them. I don't think they got along. I think there were issues that J-Kidd coached with Anthony Davis and was close to him, and Nico was close to AD," Cuban said on the "Intersections" podcast. "...You talk about confirmation bias; there was some of that as well. That doesn’t justify it for our coach and general manager to stand up and trade our best player.”

Jason Kidd was asked about those comments on Tuesday ahead of their game against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he didn't seem all too pleased.

“When are we going to move on?” Kidd asked during a one-on-one interview with the Dallas Morning News. “We have to move forward. We're focused on the present and the future, and we've got an incredible opportunity to build.”

"I truly believe the Mavs fans have built before and will build again. And we want them to be a part of this build. And so the things that are going on between two owners is between the two owners. I think we have a great owner in Patrick, and he's going to give us every resource to build a championship team.

“Out of respect to Cuban, he helped me and my family. We won a championship together. The two owners will figure it out. I truly believe that we have to focus on the present and the future. We've got a great opportunity.”

Mar 23, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd reacts against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks Shouldn't Have to 'Build Again'

I'm sure Jason Kidd would love to put that trade behind him. He's not going to get that with this relentless fanbase, and the lack of winning isn't helping anything. The Mavericks have now missed the playoffs in 3 of Kidd's 5 seasons. Both of those appearances were heavily carried by Doncic, who is one of the greatest offensive engines that the NBA has ever seen.

The Mavericks wouldn't have to "build again" if Doncic were still on the team. They'd be title contenders if they were, because they perfectly crafted a team around Doncic, then sent him away. Instead, the Lakers get to reap the reward as if they haven't benefited enough throughout the history of the NBA.

If the Mavs keep losing, they will build again, but it may be without Jason Kidd as head coach.

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