Jason Kidd had a lot to say about the Dallas Mavericks’ recent trade targets for 2017.
With Luka Doncic no longer a member of the Dallas Mavericks, the 2025-26 NBA season marks the beginning of a new era for the franchise.
Given that it has the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, MAV could start this era with the Cooper Flag, the highly hyped outlook for Duke.
However, even with flags on the roster, the Mavericks still need a good point guard. Because Kyrie Irving is likely to miss the entire season due to tears in the ACL. Meanwhile, Mavs reportedly looks at three targets, including Lonzo Ball.
Lonzo Ball, the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, was surrounded by huge hype during his rookie years in the league.
Obviously many have compared him to the former NBA star who played his position. That included current Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
Compared to Ball, in 2017 he clearly reached Kid’s ears and gave a strong verdict on the Lakers star of the time.
“The first thing (when you compare them) – someone plays hard for 48 minutes and wants to do something to win?
“He has to understand what it means to play hard, what it means to win and how to win at the highest level. It takes time,” Kidd said.
But before he won the right to be compared to the 2011 NBA champion, Ball demanded that he had a long way.
“Hopefully there will be a better comparison in three years. But for now, it’s stretching and he has a way to go,” Kidd added.
At the time of Kid’s interview, Ball was barely playing the game. He also struggled to score efficiently in his rookie year.
Nevertheless, Kidd believed that one special ability of the ball would help him in the long run.
“It’s going to take a little while because of all the hype and expectations that everyone thought he would come out and burn the league,” Kidd continued.
“…He still has a skill set that many people don’t have in this league. It makes his teammates better,” the Mavs coach concluded.
Fast forward to 2025, Ball has experienced many ups and downs in his career and has also dealt with severe injuries.
At 27, Ball may never be the star he’s expected to be, but if everything goes well, he can certainly be a good addition to the current Mavs roster.