It's hard not to view the Luka Dončić trade as at least part of the reason that the Mavericks decided to fire Jason Kidd, though Masai Ujiri said otherwise while speaking with the media on Wednesday. The new team president and alternate governor said the superstar guard's sudden move to the Los Angeles Lakers didn't factor into the decision for a new head coach.
"That trade has played no part in how I think about anything.. I'm in no position to criticize or blame."
Dallas hired Ujiri at the beginning of the month, less than a year after Toronto fired him. It was a given that he'd evaluate whether Kidd was still the right fit for the Mavericks, so his firing isn't that surprising. It's typically what happens when a new decision-maker steps in, as it's all part of the business.
Still, moving on from those associated with the Dončić trade benefits Dallas, and although Ujiri didn't say it out loud, that thought had to have come to his mind over the past couple of weeks. The Mavericks fired Nico Harrison in November and traded Anthony Davis to the Wizards in February. They have a new GM, and soon, they'll officially have a new head coach.
Ujiri says Luka Dončić trade didn't play role in Jason Kidd's firing
Dallas is a completely different team than the one that reached the NBA Finals two years ago. Kyrie Irving, who will have a $42.4 million player option in 2027-28, is the last man standing. Ujiri said there is a "curiosity" to see the 34-year-old guard play alongside Cooper Flagg, but that doesn't mean he won't be elsewhere by the time next season starts. That's a topic for another day.
No matter what the Mavericks do, the Dončić trade will always be a stain on the organization (not for the Lakers!). It was that bad, and will always be that bad, no matter who Dallas ushers out the door.
It wasn't Kidd who sent Dončić packing, but Mark Cuban has said that the coach knew that the trade was coming. He's said otherwise. Who knows what to believe?
Sorting that out wasn't on Ujiri's list when he took over. He's focused on putting the Mavericks in the best possible position after over a year of turmoil. Clearly, he felt that getting rid of Kidd was necessary, and there might've been more to that decision than he's willing to let on. And can you really blame him? Certainly not.
What we do know is that the Lakers came out as winners in the end, and that much was evident as soon as ESPN's Shams Charania reported the trade. Los Angeles has only looked better since then.
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