Despite being denied a request to interview Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, there is a possibility that he still ends up as the next head coach of the New York Knicks.
Per SNY’s Ian Begley, “the door is not completely closed” on Kidd landing in New York.
“Other outlets reported as recently as last week that Kidd was still a possibility, and that remains the case as of Monday,” Begley said.
The Knicks sent shockwaves throughout the NBA after they fired Tom Thibodeau on June 3 after the team reached their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, with Kidd among their primary candidates to be his replacement.
In theory, Kidd could end up in New York if he were to be traded there, or if he forced his way out of Dallas in order to sign with the Knicks on a more lucrative deal. This particular scenario has happened once before in Kidd’s coaching career. In 2014, Kidd — then the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets was given permission by the Nets to interview for the Milwaukee Bucks’ job, which he ended up taking.
The Knicks have made it clear since the beginning of their coaching search that Kidd is at or near the top of the list of candidates they prefer. After being denied a request to speak with Kidd, the Knicks also tried their hand with four other NBA teams’ coaches including the Houston Rockets (Ime Udoka), Minnesota Timberwolves (Chris Finch), Atlanta Hawks (Quin Snyder), and Chicago Bulls (Billy Donovan).
Kidd’s experience with the New York media during his time as a player, and head coach of the Nets, and his time as a player with the Knicks in 2012-13, as well as his head coaching resume — Kidd’s Mavericks reached the NBA Finals in 2024 — likely are leading factors as to why the Knicks have aggressively pursued him.
Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins are already confirmed to have scheduled interviews with the Knicks later this week. While it initially seemed like landing Kidd was out of the equation, it’s possible that he joins the list of interviewees sooner rather than later.
