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The Dallas Mavericks are expected to deny the New York Knicks' request to interview Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, according to The Athletic's James L Edwards III.
Edwards cited “multiple league sources” in reporting that when the Knicks make an official request, which a Mavericks source purportedly said has not come, that Dallas will turn it down, in effect forcing the Knicks' coaching search to move on from Kidd, who has two years left on his contract with the Mavericks.
New York reportedly started eyeing Kidd after firing Tom Thibodeau, who led the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 1999. Following Thibodeau's firing, The Athletic reported acrimony within the team's roster, with much of the anger reportedly being directed at Thibodeau and Karl-Anthony Towns, who joined the Knicks via a trade the day before training camp.
After Thibodeau's dismissal, the Knicks were expected to target a former player or veteran coach who, in theory, could help the Knicks reach the NBA Finals and win the organization's first championship since 1973. However, there are few coaches of that ilk in general and even fewer who are available.
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“Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, a champion, is the biggest name on the market with championship experience. Malone, like Thibodeau, is a very good coach, but he shares many tendencies and traits with Thibodeau,” Edwards wrote of the Jason Kidd alternatives. “Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown is an experienced name out there, as well. Former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is, too. Ex-Los Angeles Lakers Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego could also be of interest. They are all good coaches and have had various degrees of success, though only Malone has won a championship as a head coach among that group.
“Would any of those names be clear-cut upgrades over Thibodeau? Not on paper, at least.”
Kidd, who led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals in his first season with the team in 2022, also led the Mavs to the Finals in 2024. His best player, Luka Doncic, was traded midway through the 2024-25 season, though, and Kidd was reportedly not aware or necessarily onboard with the controversial trade.
Still, the former superstar point guard has little recourse for getting out of Dallas — if he even wants to do so — and will likely have to wait out the remainder of his deal or be fired before then.
