The Knicks head coaching search could be heating up.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, New York plans to ask the Mavericks for permission to speak to Jason Kidd about it head coaching vacancy after letting go of Tom Thibodeau. Stein also reports that Kidd is believed to be “at the top of New York’s wish list” to replace Thibodeau.
There are multiple hurdles to clear to bring Kidd to New York, as he is currently under contract with Dallas, meaning the Knicks will have to first be granted permission to speak to Kidd, and if there is mutual interest, Leon Rose and company would then need to come to an agreement with Nico Harrison and the Mavs on a compensation package in exchange for Kidd.
Kidd has been the head coach for the Mavericks for the past four years, leading them to a 52-30 record in his first season with the team. That coincided with Jalen Brunson’s final season with the Mavs before signing with the Knicks, meaning the two have a working relationship and familiarity with each other, though Dallas has been widely criticized for not knowing what it had in Brunson, who has said he initially would have been open to an extension. Of course, it’s also difficult to give a young Brunson an extended look when your team’s starting point guard is Luka Doncic.
Kidd has compiled a 179-149 record as the Mavs head coach, and led the team to an NBA Finals appearance last season, where they lost to the Celtics. He previously spent four seasons as the Bucks head coach, finishing with a 139-152 record, and his first head coaching stint came in 2013 with the Brooklyn Nets, where he became a superstar as a player.
The Nets went 44-38 with Kidd as head coach before falling in the second round to LeBron James and the Heat.
Kidd also has experience in the bright Knicks spotlight, as he spent his final NBA season coming off the bench for New York during the 2012-13 campaign, when the Knicks won 54 games under Mike Woodson.