The trade of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers was one of the most shocking in NBA history, and Mark Cuban, the minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has not gotten over it yet. He criticized Jason Kidd for the decision, which did not bring out the best in the Mavericks’ head coach.
Why Jason Kidd Slammed Mark Cuban Over the Luka Dončić Trade
Dončić was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2018 and later traded to the Mavericks. He won Rookie of the Year for the 2018–19 season and led the NBA in scoring in the 2023–24 season, the first European to achieve the feat.
After his record-setting years with the Mavericks, Dončić was traded alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 draft pick in one of the most shocking trades involving reigning All-NBA players. The trade caused a ruckus across the NBA community, as the Mavericks traded a franchise cornerstone, and Dončić was reportedly blindsided until the deal was finalized.
Although former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison took the blame on himself, the trade was a huge blow to Mark Cuban, a minority owner of the franchise. In a recent episode of the “Intersections Podcast,” Cuban shed light on the blockbuster move and revealed that head coach Jason Kidd’s involvement cannot be overlooked, as Kidd was close to Davis, and that may have influenced the trade.
“I think there was animosity between our former general manager [Harrison] and some people on Luka’s team, his agent and some of the people around them. I don’t think they got along. I think there were issues. J-Kidd had coached with Anthony Davis and was close to him, and Nico was close to AD since he was like 13 years old. So I think there was some confirmation bias as well. But that doesn’t justify it for our coach and our general manager to stand up and trade our best player.”
While Kidd didn’t have much to say on the matter, the three words “for our coach” kept ringing in his ears. He took a swipe at Cuban and urged him to move on from the blockbuster trade that happened more than 400 days ago.
“When are we going to move on? … We have to move forward. We’re focused on the present and the future, and we’ve got an incredible opportunity to build,” he said.
READ MORE: Analyst Rachel Nichols Will Snub Luka Dončić For the NBA MVP Award For 1 Major Reason
Kidd also clarified on certain occasions that he didn’t know of the decision until the 11th hour, much like his former mentee Dončić. On another note, Davis’ time with the Mavericks ended early due to persistent injury layoffs, and he joined the Washington Wizards in 2026.
The 27-year-old Dončić is leading the NBA in the 2025–26 season as well. His recent stat line, 42 points with 12 assists, helped the Lakers to their 13th win in 14 games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 127-113. He was suspended for the game against the Wizards, which may have impacted his drop to 4th in the latest NBA.com MVP poll.
