New Luka Doncic Rumors Reveal Jason Kidd's 'Level' of Support for Lakers-Mavs Trade

As the Dallas Mavericks search for a new head coach, the reverberations from the infamous Luka Dončić trade continue to have some level of impact on the organization.

Appearing on Wednesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show (starts at 1:00 mark), ESPN's Shams Charania explained that even though Jason Kidd didn't make the deal to send Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, he did have some "level of support" for the move when it was made in February 2025.

Kidd recently publicly denied he was "part of the process" that led to Dončić being moved in response to comments from Mark Cuban, who said on a podcast in April he was involved in the controversial decision.

The Mavs announced on Tuesday a mutual parting of ways with Kidd after five seasons as head coach.

There's no indication that Kidd's support, however strong it might have been, for the Dončić trade had any influence on new team president Masai Ujiri's desire to bring in a new head coach.

It does suggest at least some level of a unified approach between Kidd, then-general manager Nico Harrison and Mavs governor Patrick Dumont to make the deal. It immediately backfired on the franchise, though they got bailed out in the lottery by winning the No. 1 pick and the right to select Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA draft.

Even though there remains work to do rebuilding the roster around Flagg, having the centerpiece already in place makes things much easier.

Kidd's departure is also an indication that Ujiri wants to reshape the organization into what he thinks it should be. Charania noted Dumot has given the 55-year-old "full authority" to do what he wants with the direction of the franchise.

There are some times when that strategy can backfire, as Harrison proved when he gained a prominent voice, but Ujiri's track record of success from his 12-year stint with the Toronto Raptors suggests he has a much better understanding of how to succeed in this role.

Kidd doesn't come out of this situation empty-handed. He is still owed the $40 million remaining on his contract that would allow him to take time away from the NBA if he wants to.

It also wouldn't be a surprise if Kidd, who owns a 388-395 record in 10 seasons as a head coach with three different teams, catches on somewhere else very soon.