There’s some speculation about Jason Kidd potentially being the next coach for the Knicks.
Kidd is currently the head coach of the Mavericks, so, if the Knicks want to discuss anything, they’ll first need to get the green light from Dallas for negotiations regarding compensation after an initial interview. This would give them a chance to, you know, smoothly exit things on the Mavericks’ end.
ESPN’s Tim McMahon highlighted Kidd’s ties to the Knicks, especially given that the team recently let go of Tom Thibodeau after five seasons. McMahon mentioned this connection as something to keep an eye on.
“You want to bring in someone familiar with the organization,” McMahon noted in a podcast episode. “One name that’s been mentioned is someone currently under contract with another team—but has a significant relationship with several people in the Knicks, including Jalen Branson. That person is Jason Kidd.”
Branson had moved to the Knicks during free agency after playing for Kidd in his last season with the Mavericks.
Over the past four years, Kidd has coached the Mavericks, even leading them to the NBA Finals last season, where they lost to the Celtics.
He extended his contract last year with a multi-year deal.
This season has seen its share of ups and downs—especially after the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers back in February, which reshaped their plans quite a bit.
The team also had to deal with injuries for key players like Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis as part of that trade, which certainly didn’t help matters.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks also saw Casey Smith leave; he’s now the Vice President of Sports Medicine for the Knicks, aiming to keep their roster healthy during the postseason.
McMahon added, “I’m not saying Kidd is definitely leaving Dallas or anything like that. There’s certainly been a significant decision within the franchise that he wasn’t fully supportive of. One big factor is that he’s been very close to Casey Smith since their time together in Dallas, where he’s now running the Health and Performance Group for the Knicks.
“Still, I think it’s premature to suggest that Kidd is on the verge of heading out of Dallas. I wouldn’t say that’s fair or accurate.”
Kidd has a background coaching the Nets and Bucks, and he also served as an assistant for the Lakers before joining the Mavericks.
