It’s officially been a year since the Mavericks shocked the league by sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and honestly, it still feels a little unreal. That move didn’t just flip two franchises, it tilted the entire NBA power map overnight. The Purple and Gold instantly became must-watch again, especially with The Don teaming up with LeBron James. LA was bounced in the first round of the playoffs, but they have since had time to build their chemistry. And built it they have.
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The Lakers are one of the top teams in the competitive West this season, and Luka leads the league in scoring. As for the Mavs, they fell dramatically and fired GM Nico Harrison for the move. They have won back some support by drafting Cooper Flagg, but considering they have little around him to build with, they are now at least one to two years away from being considered a serious championship threat after appearing in the Finals back in 2024.
One person who does not seem like he wants to hear about Doncic anymore is Jason Kidd. The Hall of Famer and current coach of the organization was asked about the one-year anniversary of the Luka trade during a recent press conference. And as professional as Kidd sounded while giving his response, you could tell there was a little pain in his voice as he had to relive the fact that his franchise player was taken away from him.
“I think it’s one year, next year will be two years. And next after that will be three. We’ll keep counting. Luka’s moved on. We’ve moved on. He’s playing extremely well. He leads the league in scoring. He has his team in the hunt. For that we wish him the best, but that’s just the business of basketball. We got to move forward,” stated Kidd in a recent interview.
Jason Kidd when asked if he wishes that he could’ve done something to stop the Luka Doncic trade:
“No, I think it’s one year, and next year will be two years…Luka’s moved on, and we’ve moved on…That’s just the business of basketball, gotta move forward.” pic.twitter.com/DEG541UYPf
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 24, 2026
Again, Kidd’s verbiage comes from a man who has been through the business of basketball, both as a player and a coach. But his pretending that the Mavs organization didn’t fumble one of the league’s most dynamic and popular players is somewhat confusing. The team is now not winning, and that doesn’t spell good news for his job.
The bigger issue for Dallas now isn’t just losing Luka, it’s losing the crowd. Fans can stomach a rebuild if there’s a clear vision, but right now it feels more like a holding pattern than a plan. Flagg gives them hope, sure, but hope without infrastructure only goes so far in today’s NBA. In a West that reloads fast, waiting around can quietly turn into falling behind.
For the Lakers, the pressure has flipped in the opposite direction. Luka leading the league in scoring is great, but expectations in LA are never patient, especially with LeBron still in the mix. A deep playoff run isn’t just a goal anymore, it’s the baseline assumption. Anything less will start to feel like a missed opportunity rather than a step forward.
As for Jason Kidd, his comments sound like acceptance, but acceptance doesn’t erase accountability. Coaches don’t get fired for losing stars, they get fired for what happens after. If the Mavs don’t show real progress soon, the Luka trade won’t just be remembered as a front office blunder, it’ll be the moment that reset the entire franchise’s credibility. One year later, it feels like the Lakers are back chasing banners, and the Mavericks are now chasing direction.
