Former Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd backed the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. He revealed the news on Pat McAfee's show, confirming what many in Dallas had suspected.

"Masai Ujiri has complete autonomy to do whatever he wants with the direction of the Mavericks. Sources in Dallas believe Kidd had a certain level of support for the Doncic trade," Charania said. "This is a complete reset for the entire organisation."

After five years at the helm with ups and downs, the Mavericks officially parted ways with Kidd on Tuesday. He had only signed his extension last October - less than eight months before being let go. During his time in Dallas, he led the club to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024, with a 205-205 regular-season record.

Reports indicate the new club president, Masai Ujiri, played a decisive role in the decision. According to Charania, Kyrie Irving is now the only key player in Dallas left over from the Mark Cuban era, and several clubs around the league are watching his situation closely.

Since the Doncic trade, the Mavericks have lost ten-time All-Star centre Anthony Davis, former general manager Nico Harrison, and now Kidd. The team that played in the NBA Finals two years ago effectively no longer exists. For a Balkan audience whose biggest NBA player is the Slovenian Doncic, this is confirmation that the February deal wasn't an accident - it was a plan.