Jason Kidd Reportedly Didn't 'Enjoy' Being Mavs Spokesperson After Luka, Lakers Trade

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd reportedly did not enjoy the messenger role he had to undertake in the aftermath of the Luka Dončić trade.

James L. Edwards of The Athletic reported that Kidd was not a fan of being "Dallas' spokesperson" after the team controversially dealt Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

"Kidd didn’t always enjoy being Dallas’ spokesperson in the aftermath of the franchise trading Luka Dončić, per league sources," Edwards wrote. "In a Feb. 10 game against the Kings, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford got hurt. In the middle of the injury crisis, multiple fans were also ejected for protesting the Dončić trade. Kidd didn’t address the media afterward."

The Mavericks were 26-23 on the season prior to trading Dončić and went 13-20 down the stretch and lost in the play-in tournament. That was a disappointing result for a franchise that had reached the 2024 NBA Finals and looked like it was building something.

There was one silver lining to that collapse, though. The Mavericks ended up winning the NBA draft lottery, which will allow them to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg. That could cause headlines to finally shift away from the Dončić deal.

While Kidd might enjoy coaching a young talent like Flagg, he could also look to move on to a new franchise. The New York Knicks notably fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals and have been linked to Kidd.

While Kidd could remain in Dallas, he and the franchise will need to weigh just how much his spokesman role hurt his relationship with the team.