The ongoing saga between the New York Knicks and Jason Kidd has become the offseason storyline to watch. Eight days removed from firing Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks aren’t scouring the dozen available coaching candidates. Instead, they’ve turned their sights toward an already-employed head coach — the one leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, there’s mutual intrigue between both sides, particularly between Kidd and team captain Jalen Brunson. Windhorst detailed three scenarios that could unfold from New York’s request to speak with Kidd:
The Mavericks could flatly decline.
They could grant permission and let Kidd explore his options.
Or — the rarest of outcomes — they could trade him.
Trading for a coach is rare, but it happens
Trading a head coach in the NBA is nearly unheard of — but not unprecedented.
In 2013, the Boston Celtics traded Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future first-round pick.
In 2007, the Miami Heat sent Stan Van Gundy to the Orlando Magic for two second-round picks.
And in 2014, the Brooklyn Nets sent Jason Kidd himself to the Milwaukee Bucks for two second-rounders.
Windhorst believes the Knicks could take a page out of that playbook and offer draft compensation to secure Kidd’s services.
Let it be known: these kinds of trades don’t happen unless the coach holds exceptional value — perhaps more than any single player could deliver in return. But for a franchise like New York, stuck in the cycle of resets, this may be exactly the kind of splash James Dolan wants to make.
James Dolan’s track record suggests he’d pull the trigger
Over the years, Dolan has shown he has zero emotional attachment to players, regardless of fan sentiment.
He traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo just as they began winning over the fanbase.
He dealt former lottery pick Obi Toppin for a pair of second-round picks.
Even Kristaps Porziņģis — once booed on draft night, later cheered as a franchise cornerstone — was sent away for forgettable role players.
If Dolan’s shown fans anything, it’s that he will swing big, and sentiment rarely plays a role in the decision-making process.
So if Kidd is viewed as the missing piece to elevate this Knicks roster, giving up a couple of second-rounders — or even a future first — wouldn’t be a dealbreaker. The real challenge might not be the draft compensation, but convincing Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont and GM Nico Harrison to part ways with the coach currently leading them through the NBA Playoffs.
Swapping Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis may go down as one of the most shocking trades in modern NBA history. But if the Mavericks turn around and trade Kidd — who’s under contract through the 2026–27 season — for players or picks that may never pan out, it could be viewed as a misstep of similar magnitude.
Jason Kidd might be the voice the Knicks need. The question is: what is New York willing to sacrifice to get it?