It’s been over three weeks since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, and it still feels weird. Now, on Tuesday, Feb. 26, he faced his former team for the first time.
Dončić’s former head coach, Jason Kidd, did not hold back when talking about Dončić prior to the revenge game — to the point that his comments turned some heads.
Jason Kidd Sounds Like He Regrets the Mavericks’ Luka Dončić Trade
Before the Mavericks faced off against the Lakers, Kidd praised his former superstar, even acknowledging that the Lakers are “fortunate to have him.”
“Understand that he’s gonna be one of the best players in the world, and the Lakers are fortunate to have him,” he told reporters, per Grant Afseth.
Jason Kidd mentioned about Luka Dončić: "Understand that he's gonna be one of the best players in the world, and the Lakers are fortunate to have him."
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 26, 2025
Kidd’s words make you wonder if he regrets the blockbuster trade or if he was ever on board with it to begin with. Based on reports, it’s clear that Mavs GM Nico Harrison made the call to move Dončić to the Lakers and didn’t involve many others in the process.
There’s no telling what the future holds for the Mavericks, but after getting rid of one of the best players in the NBA before he hits his prime, it’s certainly understandable for Kidd to think about what his team is missing out on.
Kidd, who was an assistant coach for the Lakers when they won the title in 2020, knows what it’s like to have a player like Dončić and how much easier it makes things for a coach. Having him for the foreseeable future basically secures the Lakers’ chances of making the postseason for the next decade.
It’s why it may not have taken much time for Kidd and the Mavericks to realize they may have made a mistake. And by mistake, we mean one of the most ill-advised franchise-changing trades this league has ever seen.
MORE: Ranking the 5 Worst Trades in NBA History
Trading Dončić is the kind of trade that turns the fan base against the very team they root for. The Mavericks basically had their entire future laid out for them with Dončić. Making the NBA Finals last year was a great sign of the kinds of results they could expect with him as their best player.
Now, he’s with the Lakers, one of the most storied franchises ever. However, before the Dončić trade, their future very much remained in limbo with LeBron James’ career winding down.
If the Lakers win a title in the near future, it’ll be hard not to think that Kidd and the Mavericks essentially handed it to them while botching their own future.
