Knicks Haven’t Requested Permission To Negotiate With Kidd
All signs are pointing toward Jason Kidd remaining the head coach of the Mavericks.
According to Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Mavericks continue to privately insist to what they described as “key stakeholders” that Kidd won’t be going anywhere. Speculation has run rampant since it was reported on Monday by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that there was “mutual intrigue” between Kidd and the Knicks, who recently fired Tom Thibodeau.
Citing a team source, The Athletic duo reports the Knicks had yet to request permission to speak with Kidd as of Tuesday afternoon. Similarly, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News heard the same thing from a “person with knowledge of the situation.”
Curtis added that two people within the Mavericks organization told him they’re skeptical the Knicks will even make the request. Curtis notes that the Knicks would need to compensate the Mavs in order to hire Kidd, who signed a contract extension last offseason. That would likely require draft capital that the Knicks — who traded numerous picks to acquire Mikal Bridges — lack, as well as possible cash considerations.
If the Knicks do ask permission to talk to Kidd, it’s expected the Mavericks will decline, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
The Athletic indicates that there’s a widely held belief is that Kidd is hoping to parlay the Knicks’ interest into another lucrative contract extension with the Mavs. His current deal covers the next two seasons. If that extension isn’t offered, it’s possible that Kidd might want to head to New York.
However, Jay Triano agreed to terms on an assistant coaching job with the Mavericks on Tuesday after assurances from Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison that Kidd would remain the head coach. The Stein Line reported over the weekend that the Mavs and Triano, the former head coach of the Suns and Raptors, were finalizing an agreement. Triano spent the last three seasons as a Kings assistant.
Western Notes: Kidd, Blazers, Kings, Nelson, Nuggets
Letting Jason Kidd go to the Knicks would be a terrible outcome for the Mavericks, according to Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News. There’s reportedly mutual interest between Kidd and the Knicks.
Under Kidd, Dallas has won five playoff series in four seasons. Cowlishaw also notes that Kyrie Irving likes Kidd and believes in him. In Cowlishaw’s viewpoint, the only way general manager Nico Harrison‘s vision for the current group will work is dependent on Anthony Davis staying healthy and Irving getting healthy and remaining happy. If Cooper Flagg then plays up to his draft status, the Mavs have a chance to secure a title in 2026/27 before the window of opportunity runs out for their aging stars.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Arthur Kaluma (Texas), Gabe Madsen (Utah), Chibuzo Agbo (USC), Alex Toohey (Sydney Kings), Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee) and Dylan Cardwell (Auburn) worked out for the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets. Toohey is the biggest name in the group, as the Australian forward is ranked No. 36 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
- Jeremy Roach (Baylor), Caleb Love (Arizona), Jaxson Robinson (Kentucky), John Tonje (Wisconsin), Great Osobor (Washington), CJ Huntley (Appalachian State) will work out for the Kings on Wednesday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. That group is headed by Tonje (19.6 PPG with the Badgers last season), a high-scoring guard who is ranked No. 42 by ESPN.
- Grant Nelson (Alabama) is expected to reschedule a workout with the Jazz, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Nelson, who worked out for the Nets on Tuesday, is currently rated 65th by ESPN.
- Though the Nuggets took the Thunder to a Game 7 in these playoffs, they can’t afford to run it back with the same group, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post opines. The bench is in serious need of upgrades, Keeler argues, as the Nuggets basically went six deep this season and that forced the starters to empty their tanks.
Latest On Jason Kidd, Knicks’ Coaching Search
There’s “mutual intrigue” between Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and the Knicks, who reportedly have interest in hiring him away from Dallas, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Monday during a SportsCenter appearance (Twitter video link).
Peter Botte of The New York Post confirms that the interest between Kidd and the Knicks is mutual, while Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) provides more details on why the former NBA star appeals to New York. As Stein explains, Kidd has existing relationships with Knicks owner James Dolan and star point guard Jalen Brunson, who is thought to be a “strong Kidd advocate.”
Kidd also has experience handling the New York City spotlight as both a player and a coach, which is considered an important part of the job, given how often the Knicks’ head coach is expected to speak on behalf of the franchise, Stein notes. Members of the front office, including president of basketball operations Leon Rose, essentially never talk to the media.
Whether that mutual interest between Kidd and New York leads anywhere remains to be seen, however. The Knicks haven’t yet asked the Mavericks for permission to speak to their head coach and likely won’t do so unless they’re confident they have a real chance to hire him, as Windhorst observes. Stein, who stated over the weekend that Dallas may simply turn down New York’s request for permission if it comes, agrees that the Knicks ultimately may not even submit that request, if that’s the outcome they’re expecting.
Still, until the Mavericks make it clear on or off the record – like the Rockets did with Ime Udoka – that they’re not entertaining the idea of letting their head coach go, or until the Knicks begin focusing on a new target, the chatter surrounding Kidd will likely continue, Stein writes.
Here’s more on Kidd and the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy:
- Kidd wasn’t a big fan of having to act as the Mavericks’ de facto spokesman in the wake of the team’s Luka Doncic trade in February, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Still, Stein doesn’t believe Kidd is unhappy in Dallas or angling for the Knicks’ job, noting that the veteran head coach is close with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Kidd and his family are also settled in Dallas, and he has also spoken enthusiastically in multiple media appearances in recent weeks about the prospect of adding Cooper Flagg.
- Speaking of Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick is scheduled to visit Dallas next Tuesday. Stein suggests that the Mavericks likely won’t want Kidd’s future with the Mavs to still be an open question at that point, so resolution one way or the other should come within the next week.
- Although it seems as if Kidd is the Knicks’ Plan A, the organization is expected to conduct an “exhaustive search that includes coaches at every level,” league sources tell Edwards.
- While Tom Thibodeau had a reputation for being reluctant to play his youngsters, Jared Schwartz of The New York Post notes that second-round picks like Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride blossomed under the Knicks’ former head coach. Player development could be an important consideration in this coaching search, Schwartz adds, since the team will want to get the most out of 2024 draftees Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, and Ariel Hukporti.
Stein’s Latest: Kidd, Flagg, Beal, Booker, More
The Mavericks will likely deny permission for the Knicks to talk to Jason Kidd about their head coaching vacancy if a formal request is made, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Stein cites “well-placed observers” who believe Dallas would turn down the request to interview Kidd, just as the Rockets have communicated that they would do if New York asks to speak with Ime Udoka.
Stein points out that Kidd received an extension after the first round of the playoffs in May of 2024 when rumors began circulating that the Lakers were targeting him in their search for a head coach. Kidd took the Mavs to the NBA Finals after that extension was finalized and led them to the play-in tournament this year while dealing with the fallout from the Luka Doncic trade and a late-season roster shortage.
Stein writes that many people in the league are confounded that the top targets who have emerged since Tom Thibodeau was fired are coaches who are already employed — Kidd, Udoka and Minnesota’s Chris Finch. He notes that several prominent coaches are currently free agents, citing Michael Malone, Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer and Frank Vogel as examples.
Stein provides a list of coaches who have been involved in trades, noting that it has happened five times since 1982.
Stein offers more information from around the NBA:
- Cooper Flagg will visit Dallas prior to the June 25 draft, Stein has learned. There’s no drama regarding who the Mavericks will take with the No. 1 pick, but the visit will give Flagg a chance to become familiar with the coaching staff and team executives before it becomes official.
- A buyout may not be a realistic option for the Suns if they can’t work out a trade involving Bradley Beal. According to Stein, Phoenix is limited to a buyout offer of about $80MM, which is far short of the nearly $111MM Beal has left on his contract. The fact that the interview process for coaches included questions about how they plan to incorporate Beal is a sign that the Suns understand that he’ll be hard to move, Stein observes.
- Stein expects Devin Booker to receive a two-year, $150MM extension once he becomes eligible on July 6, noting that he played a prominent role in the search for a new head coach.
- Stein hears that Bucks guard Pat Connaughton is likely to pick up his $9.4MM player option for next season. A decision is expected soon, although the deadline isn’t until June 24.
- Former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin has interviewed with the Grizzlies for a spot on Tuomas Iisalo‘s coaching staff, sources tell Stein.
Western Notes: Kidd, Jazz, Wojciechowski, Kings
As of Friday night, the Knicks had not yet requested permission — formally or informally — from the Mavericks to interview Jason Kidd for their head coaching vacancy, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Marc Stein reported on Friday morning that New York was expected to seek Dallas’ permission to interview Kidd, who has been the Mavs’ head coach since 2021 and is under contract for two more seasons. Multiple reporters have confirmed the news.
However, it remains unclear if the Mavericks will permit the Knicks to speak to Kidd. According to Townsend (Twitter link), the Knicks should tread carefully and “go by the book,” because the Mavericks “would love to nail” New York with a tampering charge.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- How can the Jazz‘s recent draft picks improve this offseason? In a subscriber-only story for The Salt Lake Tribune, Andy Larsen relays comments from GM Justin Zanik and head coach Will Hardy about how Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski can take the next steps in their development. Hardy said defense and shooting discipline are top priorities for George, Larsen writes. “Keyonte has got to improve his defense. His defense can be improved in a variety of ways,” the coach said. “Some of it is the mental aspect, but there also is an element of his conditioning and his physical strength” that can be improved as well.
- The Jazz have promoted Steve Wojciechowski to be an assistant on Hardy’s staff, the team announced in a press release. Wojciechowski, a longtime assistant at his alma mater Duke and the former head coach at Marquette, has been the head coach of the Jazz’s NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, the past two seasons. Wojciechowski compiled a 41-17 regular season record with the Stars and led the club to consecutive playoff berths.
- The Kings have parted ways with veteran scouts Scott Layden and Greg Stratton, sources tell Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento (Twitter link). Layden, formerly the top basketball executive of Utah, New York and Minnesota, had been with the Kings since 2022, while Stratton was hired in 2018. The Kings are also bringing back Garrius Adams as a player development assistant under head coach Doug Christie, Cunningham reports (via Twitter). Adams, who worked in Sacramento from 2021-23, has been on Willie Green‘s staff in New Orleans the past two seasons.
Knicks Notes: Kidd, Finch, Thibodeau, Brunson
After Marc Stein reported earlier today that the Knicks are expected to seek the Mavericks‘ permission to talk to head coach Jason Kidd about their head coaching job, Ian Begley of SNY.tv and ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon have confirmed as much. New York is “conducting active due diligence” on Kidd, according to Charania and MacMahon.
The question remains whether or not the Mavericks will grant that permission. Sources tell ESPN’s duo that Mavs general manager Nico Harrison and team owner Patrick Dumont haven’t yet discussed whether to allow Kidd and the Knicks to speak to one another. It’s also unclear whether Kidd would have interest in leaving Dallas for New York — he did interview for the Knicks’ job in 2020 before Tom Thibodeau was hired, as Charania and MacMahon note.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch is also part of a small group of head coaches already under contract whom the Knicks have interest in, according to Begley. It’s unclear if the Knicks plan to ask the Wolves about talking to Finch, but I can’t imagine Minnesota being very enthusiastic about the possibility.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Following up on ESPN’s reporting about the Knicks dismissing Thibodeau after getting input from players, Begley notes that while that player input was a factor in the team’s decision, Knicks players were respectful of Thibodeau during their end-of-season exit meetings and have a “great deal of admiration” for him. They did point out during those meetings, however, that there were things Thibodeau did during his tenure that could be improved, Begley adds.
- There will be plenty of Jalen Brunson-related subplots to monitor during the Knicks’ head coaching search, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscription required). As Braziller observes, Brunson has blossomed into a star under Thibodeau and spoke highly of the veteran coach. It remains to be seen how much input the point guard might have in the team’s hiring decision and what the coaching change will mean for his father, assistant coach Rick Brunson.
- The Knicks aren’t expected to make an immediate head coaching hire, a league source tells Steve Popper of Newsday, who details the pressure and expectations that Thibodeau’s replacement will face.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who is the president of the National Basketball Coaches Association, admitted this week that he was shocked by the Knicks’ decision to fire Thibodeau. “Thibs went in there and changed so much,” Carlisle said (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “You look at all that and what happened yesterday. When I first saw it I thought it was one of those fake AI things, like, no way. No way possible.”
Knicks Expected To Request Permission To Talk To Mavs’ Kidd
The Knicks, who have a newly created head coaching vacancy after parting ways with Tom Thibodeau earlier this week, are expected to ask the Mavericks for permission to speak to Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein, who identified Kidd on Wednesday as a potential target for the Knicks, says sources have described New York’s interest in the Mavs coach as “serious,” adding that some people in coaching circles believe he’s the Knicks’ top target to replace Thibodeau.
The Knicks were also said to be interested in Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, but multiple reporters – including Stein – have stated that Houston has no interest in granting New York permission to speak to Udoka. Stein hasn’t been able to confirm if the Mavs would take a similar position with Kidd.
Kidd was initially hired by former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in 2021, a little before Nico Harrison came aboard as the team’s head of basketball operations. Given that Cuban is no longer running the show in Dallas and Harrison didn’t hire Kidd himself, it’s possible the Mavs wouldn’t be as attached to him as the Rockets are to Udoka.
Kidd signed a contract extension with the Mavericks in May of 2024. According to Stein, that deal tacked on two years to Kidd’s previous contract, which would’ve expired at the end of 2024/25.
In the past, there have been instances where a team gave up draft compensation in order to hire a head coach away from another franchise — in fact, as Stein notes, that has happened before with Kidd, as the Bucks sent a pair of second-rounders to hire him away from the Nets in 2014. It remains to be seen whether the Knicks would be willing to take a similar route to hire Kidd.
Although Kidd has spoken about how he wasn’t involved in the unpopular decision to trade Luka Doncic in February, he’s believed to still be happy in Dallas and is excited about the opportunity to coach Cooper Flagg, according to Stein. Kidd also has strong relationships with current Mavs stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
Even if Kidd ends up staying put, the Mavs’ coaching staff seems likely to undergo some changes this offseason. Assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley both received consideration in Phoenix’s coaching search, according to Stein, who reports that the Spurs have expressed interest in trying to hire Sweeney as an assistant, while the Grizzlies recently spoke to Dudley about a role on their staff. Both San Antonio (Mitch Johnson) and Memphis (Tuomas Iisalo) have first-time head coaches who were promoted during the 2024/25 season and will be entering their first full seasons as head coaches in ’25/26.
The Mavs already lost one key assistant – Alex Jensen – earlier this year, when he agreed to become the new head coach at the University of Utah. Stein hears that Dallas has targeted former NBA head coach Jay Triano to replace Jensen, though Triano is believed to be receiving interest from other NBA teams as well.
Latest On Thibodeau’s Firing, Knicks’ Coaching Search
Knicks president Leon Rose and owner James Dolan met with several players and members of the coaching staff before making the decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau, sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. They were asked to provide input on the current state of the franchise following the loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals and offer advice on what moves should be made next.
Shelburne hears that Thibodeau’s dismissal had been brewing for several months, sparked by a feeling that the team wasn’t reaching its full potential despite having Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns as All-NBA players. Shelburne’s sources said Rose became convinced that a new leader was needed after talking to the players and coaches, as he no longer had confidence that Thibodeau could guide the team to the NBA Finals.
“He got outcoached,” one league source told Shelburne. “The Game 1 collapse (in the Eastern Conference Finals) was insane. If they don’t have that collapse, who knows what happens.”
The Knicks led most of the way in the series opener and held a 14-point advantage with 2:50 remaining before Indiana staged a dramatic comeback behind a barrage of three-pointers. The Pacers also won Game 2 in New York, and the Knicks were never able to gain control of the series.
Shelburne points out that Thibodeau was second-guessed on several decisions he made against Indiana. Towns remained on the sidelines late in Game 2 as the team’s offense bogged down, and the decision to insert Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup didn’t come until Game 3 when the Knicks were already in a desperate situation.
There’s more from New York:
- Thibodeau’s insistence on giving a heavy workload to his starters was another factor in Rose’s decision, Shelburne adds. She notes that Brunson posted the highest usage rate of his career, with one source pointing out that he missed games this season due to ankle and calf injuries and raising concerns that he might eventually break down like Derrick Rose did while playing for Thibodeau in Chicago.
- The Knicks will prioritize experience in hiring their next coach and won’t panic if a replacement isn’t found by the start of Summer League on July 10, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy examines the credentials of several candidates, stating that recently fired Kings coach Mike Brown and former Lakers and Kings coach Luke Walton were among the names he has heard recently. Bondy also mentions current Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who has been cited before as a potential target, but cautions that it’s not clear if Dallas would consider letting him go.
- Kidd shouldn’t be dismissed as a candidate just because he’s under contract, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post). Kidd, who signed an extension with the Mavs last year, played for the Knicks during his final NBA season and has experience coaching Brunson. “I think it would be way too far to hint, suggest or any of that that J-Kidd is looking to get out of Dallas,” MacMahon said. “I think that would be not an accurate or fair thing to say. But if this opportunity were to present itself, I bet you his ears would perk up.”
Latest On Knicks’ Coaching Job
While numerous rival NBA executives believed that the Knicks had a replacement lined up before firing Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, that’s not the case, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.
The Knicks have fostered the notion that this decision was made by team president Leon Rose but many of the same executives are skeptical of that story, Stein says, considering Rose’s close ties to Thibodeau and the fact that Rose insisted on hiring him.
Meanwhile, numerous league observers acquainted with the inner workings of the Knicks organization believe owner James Dolan has been a “non-fan” of Thibodeau for a long time. Dolan reportedly sat in on post-season meetings with key players.
Two head coaches who are not currently available but said to interest the Knicks are the Mavericks‘ Jason Kidd and Rockets‘ Ime Udoka. However, Stein hears that Houston would deny any attempts by the Knicks to interview Udoka and the Mavs would likely do the same regarding Kidd, though he could not immediately confirm that.
Kidd, who played for the Knicks and interviewed for their head coaching job in 2020, has two seasons left on a contract extension he received during last season’s playoffs. He has also has close ties to Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom the Knicks are expected to pursue in trade talks if Milwaukee makes him available.
Among available coaches, former Villanova coach Jay Wright and Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant — a finalist for Phoenix’s head coaching job — are presumed to be likely candidates. Wright has repeatedly said in the past he’s not interested in coaching in the NBA, though several of his former players are key players for the Knicks.
Here’s more on the Knicks coaching situation:
- Numerous sources told Adam Zagoria (Twitter link) that it’s doubtful Wright would come out of retirement to coach the Knicks. Seth Davis, who has worked closely with Wright at CBS in recent years, is also extremely skeptical about the idea that Wright would want the job (Twitter link).
- Their search will include college coaches and won’t be limited to current assistants or former NBA head coaches, Kris Pursiainen of Clutch Points tweets.
- The Knicks better find their “Joe Torre,” who won multiple championship with the Yankees, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines, arguing that the decision to dump Thibodeau makes no sense otherwise.
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reiterates that he’s hearing former Nuggets coach Michael Malone is not a candidate.
Mavs’ Kidd Talks No. 1 Pick, Flagg, Doncic Trade
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show this week (YouTube link), Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd admitted he wasn’t watching Monday’s draft lottery live and said he thought there was a “1” missing when he received text messages telling him that Dallas would be drafting in the top four and then that the team had secured the No. 1 overall pick.
“I just felt we were going to stay around 11, if not go backwards, the way things were going for us this year,” Kidd said (hat tip to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal).
Asked by Patrick whether the Mavs plan to use the No. 1 overall pick to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the consensus top prospect in this year’s draft pool, Kidd was hesitant to outright confirm as much or to discuss Flagg directly, explaining that he’s trying “to make sure we don’t get in any trouble.”
When Patrick asked if the NBA would be fine with him commenting on “the kid from Duke,” the Mavs’ coach smiled and replied, “We’re excited about the kid at Duke.”
[RELATED: Mavs Intend To Keep No. 1 Pick, Draft Cooper Flagg]
[RELATED: Cooper Flagg Comments On Fit With Mavericks]
“I’m just the coach (but) yes, I would say we’re all concentrating on No. 1,” Kidd said. “The draft is deep, but the name you just brought up, I think we’re all focused on.”
If the lottery outcome had been different, Flagg could have ended up as the centerpiece for a rebuilding club like Utah or Washington. Instead, he’ll be joining a team with championship aspirations led by veterans like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. Kidd believes it’ll be an ideal situation for the No. 1 pick.
“He’ll be 18. He doesn’t turn 19 until December, and so just understanding he’s young, but he’s very talented, can play both ends,” Kidd said. “Being able to have older players—and when I say that, out of respect, they’re not dinosaurs—but when you look at the age of 30, Ky, AD, guys that are here, Klay could definitely help him with the process of going through a rookie season.
“… I think this is a great situation for him,” Kidd continued. “(Considering) the different guys that we have already on the team, the pressure of living up to No. 1 will be a lot easier with the talent around him. When you talk about the other clubs (he could’ve ended up with), he would have to produce right away at a high, high level. I think this is a great situation for him to grow his game, where the pressure isn’t as high. But we are playing for a championship.”
Kidd also spoke to Patrick about how he learned about – and reacted to – the Luka Doncic trade in February, explaining that when he got that call from general manager Nico Harrison at a hotel in Cleveland, he immediately began considering how the star guard’s departure and the additions of Davis and Max Christie would affect the Mavericks’ game plan.
According to Kidd, the day of the trade was the last time he spoke to Doncic. Having been unexpectedly traded himself as a player, the Mavs’ head coach knew some of what the 26-year-old was going through.
“I don’t think he was too happy. From the experience of being traded, maybe being surprised, upset, feelings are high,” Kidd said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). “But I loved the opportunity of coaching Luka. He’s an incredible person, and we all know his talent is one of the best in the world. … I’ve always said this publicly and privately: I wish Luka the best. He’s one of the best players in the world.”