The Latest Breaking News from Jason Kidd

DALLAS — As clocks in Dallas ticked toward 2 p.m. Thursday — and those in the Mavericks’ Los Angeles hotel approached noon — all attention temporarily diverted from the hoopla surrounding Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic’s new partnership.

LOS ANGELES — This, supposedly, merely was the precursor. The teaser. The prequel to the blockbuster.

Former Nets star Kyrie Irving said he felt disrespected by the way he was treated in Brooklyn, which is ultimately why he requested the trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks days ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mavericks played the Utah Jazz on Monday night without superstar Luka Doncic … and new trade focal point Kyrie Irving … and trade departees Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith … and injured forward Maxi Kleber.

Dallas’s efforts to surround Luka Dončić with a co-star have failed in recent years. Will the pairing with Irving pay off?

The Dallas Mavericks are so desperate to put an All-Star player next to Luka they went with the crazy hot one.

LeBron is going to shatter the scoring record. He just moved into fourth all-time in assists.

DALLAS — Last January, the Mavericks won seven of their last ten games and went 12-4 for the month, catapulting themselves to a strong regular-season finish and, ultimately, the Western Conference finals.

DALLAS — The Washington Wizards’ visit to Dallas for Tuesday night’s game against the Mavericks sparked tangible memories and discussion of their big-swing trade a year ago — even if Kristaps Porzingis watched from the sideline in a gray suit and black button-down while nursing a left ankle sprain.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Chauncey Billups stressed beforehand that his Portland Trail Blazers wouldn’t be able to throw anything at Luka Doncic that he hadn’t seen or experienced before.

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic has faced the Lakers and his NBA idol, LeBron James, for five seasons now.