Knicks coaching search points to Mavericks' Jason Kidd: report

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News on Jun 6, 2025

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NEW YORK — The Knicks may have their next head coach in mind — and it’s not a free agent or rising assistant, but an NBA Finals-tested rival already under contract.

The Knicks are reportedly interested in tabbing Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd as the successor to Tom Thibodeau’s throne at Madison Square Garden, according to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein and ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Knicks fired Thibodeau three days after they completed their most successful season in 25 years and were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals in six games.

Kidd’s emergence as New York’s preferred target raises key questions as the Knicks chase their first title in over 50 years.

You can hire away a team’s head coach?

Just like any other job: if there’s mutual interest between an employee and a prospective player, and the current employer doesn’t have any issue, a team can poach another organization’s head coach — at a cost.

The Bucks sent the Nets a pair of second-round picks when they hired Kidd away from Brooklyn as head coach in 2014. The Los Angeles Clippers also sent the Boston Celtics an unprotected first-round pick when they hired away Doc Rivers in 2013.

The Knicks can’t offer an unprotected first-round pick, but they do hold the Wizards’ top-eight protected 2026 first-rounder (likely to become two seconds), plus eight additional second-rounders and future pick swaps to build a competitive offer.

The Mavericks are reportedly open to the Knicks and Kidd discussing New York’s head coaching job.

Why Kidd?

The Knicks nearly hired Kidd once before.

He was among the finalists for the head coaching job in 2020 before ultimately withdrawing from consideration to remain on Frank Vogel’s staff with the Los Angeles Lakers — who went on to win a championship in the Orlando Bubble. The Knicks pivoted to Thibodeau, and Kidd eventually took over in Dallas.

Now, four years later, Kidd has potentially emerged as New York’s top choice.

He brings nine seasons of head coaching experience — a 362-339 record split between the Bucks, Mavericks, and a cup-of-coffee rookie coaching year with the Brooklyn Nets — and just led Dallas to the NBA Finals. The Mavericks went 52-30 during that run, including a Western Conference finals berth in 2022 with Jalen Brunson as Kidd’s starting point guard. Under Kidd, Brunson posted a then career-high 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game — his breakthrough season before signing with the Knicks.

“I think the relationship that me and J-Kidd have is very unique,” Brunson said after leaving the Mavericks to sign with the Knicks.

Kidd’s development track record stretches back further. In Milwaukee, he played a pivotal role in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rise from raw talent to nightly triple-double threat and future MVP. Antetokounmpo was so loyal to Kidd, he reportedly tried to block the Bucks’ decision to fire him in 2018. If the Knicks still harbor dreams of landing Antetokounmpo, Kidd’s presence wouldn’t hurt.

Kidd also has credibility in the building. He played his final NBA season at Madison Square Garden, starting 48 games for the last Knicks team to win 50 games before Thibodeau’s arrival. He’s a Hall of Fame point guard, a 10-time All-Star, and the floor general of the 2011 championship Mavericks. Kidd also finished runner-up to Tim Duncan in the 2002 NBA MVP race and led the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.

What about the coaching fit?

Two seasons ago, Kidd took an imperfect Mavericks team to the NBA Finals. If the Knicks are betting on Dallas’ head coach, it’s a wager he can do the same at Madison Square Garden.

The Mavericks played an 11-man rotation in the 2024 NBA Finals, where they ultimately came up short, 4-1, to the Boston Celtics. Kidd also helped develop Dereck Lively III, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum — who’d been an NBA journeyman — into valuable playoff contributors. Plus Kidd is a Hall of Fame point guard with a history of working with the Knicks’ floor general. As the point guard of the Dallas Mavericks championship 2011 team, he commands respect when he walks into a locker room.

Stein first broke the news of the Knicks’ serious interest of pursuing Kidd on his Substack newsletter. ESPN has since confirmed the Knicks’ pursuit of Kidd.

Who are the other candidates?

There are at least 23 other names the Knicks could have on their radar in an attempt to replace Thibodeau.

The Knicks could also consider current and former head coaches like Ime Udoka, Mike Malone, and Taylor Jenkins, as well as respected assistants such as Chris Quinn, Jerry Stackhouse, and Johnnie Bryant. Jeff Van Gundy, a former Knicks head coach now with the Clippers, is also a name to watch.