The New York Knicks — searching for a new coach after the firing of Tom Thibodeau, who led them to the Eastern Conference Finals — are expected to ask permission of the Dallas Mavericks to talk to Jason Kidd about coming to Manhattan, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line in his latest Substack missive.
“The New York Knicks are expected to formally request permission to speak to the Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Kidd about their coaching vacancy in coming days, league sources say… A precise hierarchy of potential Knicks targets to replace Thibodeau has yet to emerge, but some in league coaching circles believe that Kidd… is at the top of New York’s wish list.”
Kidd coached Brunson for a year in Dallas, and the two had a good relationship (Brunson’s issues in Dallas were about his next contract and feeling lowballed and disrespected, not the coaching).
Two big questions emerge here. First, would Dallas give permission for New York to talk to Kidd? Mavs ownership/management can say no, which is reportedly what Houston would do if New York called about Ime Udoka (Stein wrote that the Knicks would like Udoka, but knows they would be turned down if they asked). As a standard practice, if the coach is open to it, teams will let their coach have those conversations with another team, but if things get serious and the coach wants to move on then draft compensation has to come back to the coach’s current team (and the Knicks are not flush with draft picks to send to Dallas). Kidd signed an extension with Dallas that runs through 2027 and by all accounts is happy there, Stein reports.
Second, would Kidd want the job? ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the outlet’s “Hoop Collective” podcast that Kidd’s “ears would perk up” at the idea, adding that the Knicks need to bring in a “relationship guy” and Kidd fits that bill.
“Listen, one of the names that’s been thrown out there is a man who’s under contract with another team, but definitely a guy who has relationships not just with Jalen Brunson but with a lot of people in that organization, and that’s Jason Kidd. And what I will say about that is I would not dismiss that possibility.”
Kidd was hired to be the Mavericks’ coach by former owner Mark Cuban. In the wake of the ownership change and the Luka Doncic trade, would he want out? Dallas still has talent on the roster, including Kyrie Irving (out for most or all of next season with a torn ACL), Anthony Davis, and incoming No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, as well as solid players such as P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and others.
If the Knicks can’t get Kidd or Udoka, where do they turn next? They reportedly want an experienced head coach, which would rule out former assistant Johnnie Bryant (who is now in Cleveland and was a finalist for the Suns job). Michael Malone is out there, but he is seen as similar to Thibodeau in leaning too heavily into his starters and being set in his ways. Former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins is available. Former Cavaliers, Lakers and most recently Kings coach Mike Brown is available, he is a defense-first guy, but is he an upgrade over Thibodeau that takes them to the next level?
The Knicks moved on from Thibodeau without a replacement lined up, which could make this search messy.
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