The Knicks might not be taking no for an answer when it comes to Jason Kidd, at least as of yet.
After their request to interview the Dallas Mavericks’ head coach was rejected by the Western Conference team, speculation remains that the Knicks are still holding out hope of an opportunity to bring in the 52-year-old Hall-of-Famer.
Kidd, who had previous coaching stops in Brooklyn with the Nets and with the Milwaukee Bucks, is just one year removed from leading the Mavericks to a Western Conference title before falling to the Boston Celtics in the Finals. While his 2024-25 campaign was obliterated when GM Nico Harrison controversially traded superstar Luca Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas was remarkably rewarded with the No. 1 overall pick and a clear path to Duke standout, Cooper Flagg.
Upon the initial denial, the Knicks have pivoted to whittle down a potential list of Tom Thibodeau’s successors. Former Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown and Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins are the current favorites, but a potential avenue still exists for Kidd to come back to New York.
However, mutual interest exists between Kidd and the Knicks, as reported earlier this month, just before the Mavericks officially turned down president Leon Rose’s inquiry for an interview. That interest logically will not disappear in fewer than two weeks, especially given Kidd’s current contract situation.
He has two years left on his current deal and could understandably be looking for another contract extension, which would cement his standing in Dallas for the long haul. Until then, though, the Knicks could continue to lurk. If the Mavericks do not pursue an extension this summer and New York comes in with a long-term offer, this provides an entirely new wrinkle to the head-coaching search.
Rose is tasked with finding the right coach to get the Knicks over the hump to the NBA Finals. After reaching its first conference final in 25 years, and losing to the Indiana Pacers in six games to extend the franchise’s title drought to 52 years, Thibodeau was dismissed. A roster that is one or two tweaks away from cementing itself as a championship contender would be as attractive a job as any, especially for Kidd, who won one title in 19 years as a player and has struck out as a coach, so far.
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