The 2024-25 season did not go as the Dallas Mavericks envisioned once they made the 2024 NBA Finals. A lot of it was self-inflicted, as the Luka Doncic trade sent the fanbase into a frenzy, forced a midseason identity change, and the injuries piled up after that, which can be attributed to the poor training staff that Nico Harrison assembled.

The trade, finalized on February 2, 2025, involved a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz. The Lakers acquired Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris, while the Mavericks received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd wasn't upset when he was initially told that Luka Doncic was going to be traded an hour before it was announced to the public. It's not because the Hall of Famer wasn't sad because of the departure of the Slovenian native but more so that he knew he had no control over Mavs general manager Nico Harrison's decision.