Eyewitness Hints at Tensions Between Luka Doncic & Jason Kidd as Mavs HC’s Innocence in Trade Is Questioned

When Jason Kidd became the Mavs head coach in 2021, he was tasked with turning the team into a contender and building a healthy relationship with the big players. Luka Doncic had often clashed with former Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, but once Kidd arrived, the Slovenian knew he had a mentor, someone who played the point guard position similar to him. As a coach, Kidd had little success before his tenure in Dallas, but with Doncic at the heart of his play, he improved the side to a great degree. His relationship with Doncic only got stronger as evidenced by his passionate defense of the player after he received criticism following the Game 3 defeat to the Celtics in the NBA Finals last season.

“Give my man a break. Let him play the game,” Kidd said after Doncic’s attitude and performance was questioned. So, when Doncic moved to the Lakers in a blockbuster trade a few weeks ago, it was surprising that Kidd was one of those people allegedly kept in the dark about the deal. Or was he? It is hard to imagine that the biggest player of the team would move out without the head coach knowing anything about it. Kidd maintained that he knew nothing about the deal until the very end. However, former Warriors GM Bob Myers is one of those who believes Kidd was aware of what was going down. Regardless, as Doncic went up against Dallas for the first time in a Lakers jersey, fireworks were expected and we were not disappointed.

Doncic made his mark early and after a 29-foot 3-pointer, he immediately turned his attention toward his former teammates and stared down the Mavericks’ bench. But that was not all. Before and even after the game, Doncic received a warm reception from his former teammates. He made his way around the court, making the rounds, hugging every former teammate, dapping up assistants, and even laughing with the training staff when he got there. But when it came to Kidd, there was no handshake, no nod, nothing. Jason Kidd stood on the sidelines, expressionless, making no effort to greet his former player. Doncic didn’t approach him either and in that moment, there was a hint of tension between the two.

One fan caught the moment as they tweeted, “Luka hugged every Mavs player after the game, every assistant coach, didn’t even look at Kidd… he knows.”

It is possible that Doncic could have embraced Kidd off-screen, but on the court, there was a different vibe altogether. It wasn’t that these two didn’t exchange pleasantries only. Kidd avoided looking at Doncic when he was standing in front of him during the game. He did glance at  Doncic, but only after the Lakers star had started looking elsewhere.

So the question remains, does Doncic know something everybody else doesn’t? Before his trade, there didn’t appear to be any sort of friction between him and Kidd. However, given how things transpired on the court, there is a lot of room for speculation.

When Kidd first arrived in Dallas, there was the hope that his Hall of Fame experience would raise Luka’s game. On some level it did — the Mavericks made an NBA Finals together. It felt like Doncic was lifting the Mavs alone.

Luka’s historic 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist performance wasn’t just a franchise milestone—it was proof of how much he carried the Mavericks on his own. That late December night in 2022, he wasn’t just their best scorer; he was their only reliable option, fighting through endless isolations to drag Dallas to victory. And yet, despite nights like those, he was traded away. When a player gives everything for a team and is cast aside, some level of resentment might be there.

Still, after the game, there didn’t appear to be any bitterness, at least from Kidd and he was even complimentary of Doncic.

“I thought he picked his spots. He was able to find his teammates. He was Luka. Drove it, made plays, and then also finished. Probably had some looks that normally goes down for him, but he fills up the stat sheet like no other player. I think he had a triple-double. Again, he can find his teammates, and his teammates delivered tonight.”

In return, Doncic also talked about reuniting with his former teammates and brought up Kyrie Irving but there was no mention of Kidd at all. “Kyrie is my Hermano,” Doncic said. “We got beyond basketball. It was good to see those guys. We went to wars together, and it was really fun to see them all.”

Based on the cold shoulder Luka gave Kidd, it’s safe to say he believes his coach played a role in the decision to trade him—no matter how much Kidd claims otherwise. As fans came across this moment on social media, they were quick to point out that something was not right between Doncic and his former coach.

Fans read between the lines after Doncic-Kidd tension

So far, it is believed that Doncic’s trade was a top-level secret that only GMs from both franchises were aware of. In fact, the player himself was in the dark until the news broke out. Kidd has also gone on to say that he had no idea about the trade that sent Anthony Davis in the opposite direction. However, that notion has been challenged.

Bob Myers stated on NBA Today that Kidd had to have an idea about the deal. “Jason Kidd, I don’t know, they say he didn’t know, I’m sure he had an idea,” Myers said. “… Jason Kidd has an idea of what’s going on around there; he’s the coach. Of the powers that be, they looked at each other and said we don’t think he can get us there.” Given how the interaction or lack thereof between Kidd and Doncic transpired on Tuesday, more fuel to the fire has been added.

“It was meant to tell us something too. Kidd was involved,” a fan wrote on X. Many fans believe Kidd played a bigger role in the trade than he’s letting on. Given the magnitude of the move, it’s easy to assume he had some input. However, reports tell a different story—GM Nico Harrison finalized the trade behind closed doors and informed Kidd only when it was nearly complete. Kidd himself admitted, “Ya, I’m an employee of the Mavs,” hinting that he had little say in the matter.

“Ultimately, Kidd has to coach the team. They wouldn’t have made this deal without his approval—without him thinking he’d have a better chance to win without Luka. Plus, we all know Kidd isn’t an honorable person. ALL-TIME GREAT PLAYER, bad guy,” another user wrote. Another question is whether Luka believes Kidd was involved—his body language suggests he does.

Speaking on the apparent tension between the two, a fan pointed out, “

Doncic hit his stride against his former team as he delivered his first triple-double as a Laker with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Lakers beat the Mavs 107-99.

Still, it seems for a section of fans, it was Doncic’s behavior toward Kidd that was the bigger talking point. A fan wrote, “luka’s body language says it all. kidd’s gotta be feeling that cold shoulder after this one.”

Another fan also caught on the tension mentioning,

Once a legendary point guard, Kidd was precise and had court vision and he helped Doncic establish himself more than ever before. But now, they are on their separate paths, and while there will be a few more collisions down the road, it is their bond that is in question. We still have to see how things go down when Doncic returns to Dallas in little more than a month’s time and perhaps we will get an idea of how badly is Doncic’s relationship with Kidd broken, if at all.