Jason Kidd's job as the Dallas Mavericks head coach has undergone rather significant changes in the last 12 months. This time a year ago Kidd was in the midst of coaching Luka Doncic through his first NBA Finals experience; it ended quickly at the hands of the Boston Celtics but optimism surrounding the organization's future was quite high. Then came the stunning trade that sent Doncic to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis, an injury-riddled second half, and an even more stunning lottery process that saw Dallas win the No. 1 pick.
It's been a whirlwind, to say the least. And now Kidd's name is in the news as a rumored target of the New York Knicks, in search of a new head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau.
Reporting on that situation, The Athletic revealed there was one part of the Doncic trade that didn't always sit well with Kidd— the fact that he was often left on his own as the franchise spokesperson to answer for the decision.
"Furthermore, Kidd didn’t always enjoy being Dallas’ spokesperson in the aftermath of the franchise trading Luka Doncic, per league sources," James L. Edwards III reported on Monday.
It wouldn't be surprising if Kidd did feel that way. The decision to trade Doncic was met with uproar and outrage from the fanbase. But after one initial press conference the man who actually made the decision, GM Nico Harrison, was able to largely disappear from the public eye. Kidd had no such option given his media obligations as an NBA head coach and since the story defined the 2024-25 season the stream of questions never really stopped.
One of the many ripple effects from the Doncic trade.
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