According to a new report, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is interested in the New York Knicks' coaching opening, further fueling rumors of a union forming between both parties.
The Knicks fired former head coach Tom Thibodeau despite the team reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in decades. The front office, whether fairly or not, had title-winning aspirations and were disappointed about how short the team fell this season.
The Knicks are focused on finding their next head coach, who they hope will be able to take the team over the top and deliver a championship.
One of the hottest names in the coaching search's early stages is Kidd, who led the Mavs to the NBA Finals a season ago.
Kidd played for the Knicks at the end of his career and spent most of his basketball career in the New York area, considering his long stint with the New Jersey Nets.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reports that there is interest on both sides of the aisle to make Kidd the next Knicks head coach.
"The way I would describe this is there's mutual intrigue on both sides, and also, I know there's this whole thing about asking for permission," Windhorst said during an appearance on SportsCenter.
"You don't ask for permission to hire another team's coach. When you ask, you're going to hire them.
"So essentially, when the Knicks express interest, the ball will be in the Mavericks' court, and they have three options, as I see it.
"One, they can just say, no, thank you very much. Jason, we'll see you in the fall.
"They can try to make Jason Kidd have zero interest in the Knicks, possibly with a new contract. They did just give him an extension last year.
"Or they can negotiate a trade, and we have seen a handful of trades of coaches over the last 15 to 18 years, including Jason Kidd being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Milwaukee Bucks for two second-round picks 11 years ago.
"So it's not like Jason Kidd hasn't been in this situation before."
Windhorst's reporting seemingly confirms the feeling around the league that the Knicks have Kidd as a top candidate.
To get Kidd out of his contract with the Mavs, it will take compensation, but considering how bold the Knicks were to fire their successful coach, they would likely not hesitate to do what it takes to get what they see as a difference-maker.
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