As Luka Doncic prepares for an emotionally charged return to Dallas, the Mavericks’ coach, Jason Kidd, is signaling trouble ahead. He isn’t mincing words as he sends a warning to the Lakers that this reunion could ignite something dangerous that they may not be ready to handle.

For those who don’t know, the South, including big portions of Texas, as well as a significant portion of the East Coast, is facing up to half an inch of ice and heavy snow as a storm is expected to roll in on Saturday. Dallas is on the list of cities most likely to be hit hardest, with widespread power outages predicted.

“If Lakers land, we play,” Kidd told reporters about a potential Doncic reunion cancellation. “We can’t help it if the fans don’t come or you don’t come… It becomes hard for availability and trying to squeeze the game in here or there, so if the Lakers do land tomorrow, hopefully we can play the game on Saturday.”

Kidd even referenced the league’s COVID-19 era games in 2020 and 2021, when the league held games in the Orlando Bubble and later in arenas operating with significantly limited capacity.

The games were basketball stripped down to the bare minimum, and served as an example of the NBA having survived through stranger circumstances.

Dallas airports have already begun sending out travel advisories ahead of the storm starting Friday afternoon, but it’s not known when Doncic and the Lakers are set to make their trip, especially with them playing the LA Clippers tonight. Their trip and flight time could be significantly affected by the weather.

Jason Kidd Leaves the Call to the League as Weather Looms Ahead of Doncic Reunion

Dallas isn’t the only team dealing with potential rescheduling for their upcoming games, with the NBA already taking action in the Eastern Conference.

Just a few hours ago, the league announced that the game featuring the Washington Wizards at the Charlotte Hornets home game on Saturday was preponed to 12 PM ET from 6 PM due to “impending weather.” If circumstances worsen near the American Airlines Center, similar action could be taken.

Still, Jason Kidd isn’t speaking for the league. He told reporters who asked about the possibility of the postponement:

“Oh yeah, that’s out of my pay grade. We show up rain or shine. It snows on the East Coast. I don’t see them postponing… Mother Nature is going to do what she does. We have a job to do, and that’s to play the games when they’re scheduled, unless told otherwise.”

So far this season, the league hasn’t been afraid of postponing games. Earlier this year, a game between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls at the United Center was moved to a later date due to moisture buildup on the court before the game started.

The problem with this scheduling, though, is that it might be more complicated than fans realize. The game between Luka Doncic’s current and former teams is nationally televised and is surely harder to reschedule compared to a locally broadcast matchup.

Only time will tell how the league will resolve the issue, if at all.