Regardless of the wisdom in hiring former Knicks point guard Jason Kidd to take over the team's coaching job after the firing of Tom Thibodeau, the team would have to clear some obstacles to make it happen. First, they would need to get the Mavericks to agree to let the Knicks have a chat with Kidd about the job, though the presumption is that if the Mavericks do agree, the Knicks would only talk with Kidd if they intend to hire him.
"If you're asking a team to let us talk to their coach," one NBA executive said, "then you're only doing that if you want to hire him. That's not some kind of exploratory stage."
But once they get to that stage, the there's still the matter of paying off the team that has Kidd under contract--and very much under contract. The Mavericks not only have Kidd signed for next year, but also have him on an extension through 2026-27.
Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the podium after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the podium after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
History tells us that if the Knicks want to get Kidd away from the Mavs, it is going to cost them. Not only will Kidd have to be one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA--moving into the $12-$15 million range with coaches like the since-fired Michael Malone, plus Ty Lue and Erik Spoelstra--but the Knicks will need to pay off the Mavericks with draft compensation.
History also tells us that the Knicks won't give up a player or players to get Kidd. The league made it clear back in 2013 that it would not allow such transactions when the Celtics and Clippers tried to work out a deal that sent both Kevin Garnett and coach Doc Rivers to L.A., a deal that never materialized because it violates the CBA.
Instead, the Clippers traded a 2015 first-round pick (it wound up being RJ Hunter) to the Celtics for Rivers, and Garnett was eventually traded to Brooklyn. In 2014, the Nets got draft compensation for Kidd when he was abruptly hired by the Bucks, who sent two second-round picks.
The Knicks have already traded away their own first-round pick to the Nets here in 2025, and the belief around the league is that they could potentially send the 2026 first-rounder they are owed from Washington to the Mavericks for Kidd.
"That would be a deal that makes sense," the executive said.
That pick only becomes a first-rounder if it falls outside the Top 10, unlikely for the rebuilding Wizards. In that case, the Knicks--or the Mavs, if a trade is made--get 2026 and 2027 second-round picks from Washington.
Considering that the Wizards are expected to be a poor team for the next two seasons, those could have some value, as they'd come high up in the second round.