The basketball world was left in disbelief on the day it was confirmed that Luka Doncic had been traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers. From Mark Cuban to Dirk Nowitzki and other people inside the organization, almost nobody had a clue that Nico Harrison and Rob Pelinka had come to terms on one of the biggest trades in the NBA over the past decade or more.
Jason Kidd, the Mavericks’ head coach, appeared on the Dan Patrick show and revealed his first response to finding out that his star player had been traded. He also admitted that he only found out about the deal after it was already confirmed.
He said, “I was told by my boss, Nico, that we were going to make a change… in the hotel, this is in the hotel in Cleveland, and so he said the news was going to hit in an hour, and that’s how it went down. And so when he told me, I started, I went back to my room to start figuring out how we’re going to use AD and Christie. Because of this change and….no, there was no arguing, this is what was going to take place.”
Yes, the general manager does not need to ask the head coach before making any such decisions. However, there is no one in a better position to explain the impact on the team than the coach. Therefore, while general managers get the final call, usually teams keep their head coaches in the loop about such a major change to the team.
While talking about the last time he spoke to Doncic, Kidd further added, “I texted him on that morning, and that’s the last time I’ve talked to him…. I don’t think he was too happy…. I loved the opportunity of coaching Luka; he’s an incredible person, and we all know his talent is one of the best in the world. My mindset is to deal with the cards that I’m dealt and keep pushing forward. And I’ve always said this publicly and privately, I wish Luka the best, he’s one of the best players in the world.”
Direct Aftermath Of Luka Doncic Getting Traded To The Mavericks
The Mavericks were 13-9 in all games played by Luka Doncic last season. Counting the games missed due to injury and the trade, the Mavericks did not have Doncic on the floor in 60 games in the regular season, where their record was 26-34. They went from a .591 team to a .433 winning percentage team.
However, the contributory factors were also the injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Now, after having lost Doncic in the trade, the Mavericks have found another ray of hope after they secured the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft despite only a 1.8% chance to do so. They are now the frontrunners to draft Cooper Flag, and with the veteran core talent they have, will instantly become title contenders in the next season.
