Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd mentioned Friday he was knowledgeable of the group’s blockbuster 2025 trade involving Luka Doncic simply moments earlier than it turned public, describing the timing because the “11th hour” as he addressed current criticism from former proprietor Mark Cuban.
Speaking at a shootaround Friday morning, Kidd pushed again on Cuban’s feedback earlier this week expressing regret over promoting the franchise and questioning the controversial deal that despatched Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kidd additionally voiced help for the Mavericks’ present possession, saying “that we have the best owner in the league.”
Jason Kidd says he learned of Luka Doncic trade at “11th hour”
When requested if he felt blindsided by the trade, Kidd mentioned the outline was truthful.
“Blindsided, maybe, that’s a good way to put it,” Kidd mentioned. “When I found out about it, I just looked at it as this is Cuban, and he has a right to his opinion. But I’m here to tell you the truth… they found out at the 11th hour.”
Kidd detailed the second he learned of the transfer, saying he was referred to as into a gathering with now-former common supervisor Nico Harrison shortly earlier than the deal was set to go public.
“The time that I was called to see Nico… and to be told that there would be a trade that was going to go public at 11:00, that’s what happened,” Kidd mentioned. “I waited till 11:00, and in that trade, the world changed.”
Kidd added that his focus shortly shifted to managing the roster transition.
“As a head coach, I had to, you know, understand there’s players leaving and there’s players coming in, and that’s how I thought as a head coach,” he mentioned.
Jason Kidd responds to Mark Cuban’s regret over Mavericks sale
His feedback come days after Cuban, who bought a majority stake within the Mavericks to the Adelson household, mentioned on a podcast he regretted how the sale unfolded and criticized the decision-making that led to Doncic’s departure.
Cuban mentioned he learned the trade had already been finalized when Harrison contacted him, and that he disagreed with the reasoning behind it, calling it “a mistake.”
He additionally defended Doncic’s efficiency regardless of criticism about conditioning, saying the star guard’s potential to ship in clutch moments made him indispensable.
The trade, accredited underneath new group governor Patrick Dumont, has remained one of the most debated moves in recent NBA history, in accordance to sports activities analysts, with lingering questions on communication inside the group and the long-term route of the franchise.
