The shocking midseason trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025 remains a sore spot for the Dallas Mavericks faithful. The controversial swap deal that saw Anthony Davis move in the opposite direction has haunted the franchise ever since, sending them to the lottery for a second straight year.  Mavs minority owner Mark Cuban stirred the pot surrounding the Luka Doncic trade on a recent podcast appearance.

The 67-year-old businessman claimed that HC Jason Kidd and former GM Nico Harrison were both involved in the deal, which was public knowledge beforehand. The coach was obviously not pleased to hear this and did not hold back in a recent interview.

“When are we going to move on?” Kidd questioned Dallas Morning News reporter Brad Townsend. “We have to move forward. We’re focused on the present and the future, and we’ve got an incredible opportunity to build. I truly believe the Mavs fans have built before and will build again, and we want them to be a part of this build.”

Cuban hinted that Kidd’s ‘confirmation bias’ towards coaching Anthony Davis played a role in the trade decision. But his comments could also stem from the ongoing power struggle between Patrick Dumont and the Adelson family over the trajectory of the organization.

Kidd touched on that unsavory subject in today’s interview with Townsend, adding that he called Cuban the day after his podcast appearance to have a word.

“The things that are going on between two owners is between the two owners. I think we have a great owner in Patrick and he’s going to give us every resource to build a championship team,” Kidd added. “Out of respect to Cuban, he helped me and my family. We won a championship together. The two owners will figure it out. I truly believe that we have to focus on the present and the future. We’ve got a great opportunity.”

This is not an isolated Mavericks issue. It echoes broader patterns seen elsewhere, such as the Denver Nuggets’ mid-2025 midseason firing of longtime coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth under governor Josh Kroenke.

Despite the franchise’s recent championship success, unresolved philosophical differences and internal frustrations eventually spilled into a dramatic ownership intervention that left the organization navigating public questions about prior decision-making and coaching direction.

How do the Mavs move on from the Luka Doncic era?

The Dallas Mavericks are tasked with rebuilding in the wake of Luka’s departure. They brought in potential ROTY winner Cooper Flagg this campaign and are working towards building around the young talent. The 19-year-old is averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 63 games in his debut season.

“Cooper Flagg is really mature for an 18-year old. Plays both ends hard,” Mavs HC said back in July 2025. “Offensively, can score and pass. He has a high IQ defensively, solid all-around, a great young man. I’m lucky to be his coach.”

The youngster’s positional versatility is seen as a pivotal aspect of his game. This will work in his favor when veteran Kyrie Irving returns next season after recovering from his ACL injury.

“Kyrie Irving’s return next season… hopefully puts us in a better seat… Just because of the things he can do at the highest level,” Kidd told reporters last month.

With Irving locked in through 2026-27 on a team-friendly deal, the Mavs enter next season blending the slippery guard’s scoring wizardry with Flagg’s defensive prowess.

Currently positioned around the sixth spot in the draft lottery, Dallas has a 37.2% chance of landing a top-four pick and a 9% chance of bagging the number one pick. Best-case scenario, they land a top draft prospect and pair him alongside Flagg and Irving, while pushing for a conference final appearance.

Worst case, they repeat this season’s dismal 24-52 showing and lose Kyrie without winning anything. Only time will tell how this saga plays out, but it will take a long time for the Mavs fanbase to forgive Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd for letting their darling Luka leave Dallas.