The Dallas Mavericks‘ stunning midseason trade of Luka Doncic continues to ripple through the organization-and not just on the court.
As frustrations mounted throughout a bruising season, head coach Jason Kidd reportedly found himself increasingly at odds with the front office over the franchise-altering decision.
Initially, general manager Nico Harrison told the media that head coach Kidd had not been made aware of the final decision to trade Doncic.
While Harrison claimed the move aligned with earlier conversations about preferred player types, Kidd’s reaction made it clear he hadn’t expected it. And as the season unfolded, that initial surprise reportedly turned into quiet frustration.
Kidd’s breaking point amid injuries and fallout
According to reporting by Tim Cato of DLLS Sports, sources close to the team say Kidd “resented” the Mavericks‘ front office for the decision. Even if he shared some of Harrison’s concerns about Doncic, being asked to rebuild a roster that had been designed around a singular superstar left Kidd exasperated. The pressure, it seems, became too much to contain.
That tension boiled over in February after a loss to the Sacramento Kings, when Kidd skipped a required postgame press conference-an unusual move for the typically composed coach. He later cited the need to “regroup,” but insiders saw it as a visible sign of a deeper divide within the organization.
Compounding Kidd‘s stress was the Mavericks‘ growing injury crisis. Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending knee injury in March, joining a long list of sidelined teammates. At one point, the roster was so depleted that league insiders speculated Dallas might be forced to consider forfeiting games.
Meanwhile, criticism of the Doncic trade only intensified. Fans and analysts alike questioned the wisdom of trading away a generational talent-someone many saw as the franchise’s foundation.
For Kidd, the challenge was more than tactical. Leading a broken roster through a season of backlash while trying to keep morale intact has tested his leadership like never before. And if the latest reports are any indication, the emotional toll of that decision continues to weigh heavily.
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