The New York Knicks jolted the NBA universe by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday.
Thibodeau, a defensive mastermind, led the Knicks to four playoff runs across five seasons, completely restoring a franchise and brand that was in shambles when he arrived in 2020.
Thibs’ firing ignited debates among Knicks fans about whether moving on from him was a necessary move or a misguided scapegoat situation. In any case, the Knicks’ leadership reportedly desires a fresh voice to catapult Jalen Brunson and Co. to glory, and a surprising name has bubbled up in the rumor mill.
On Thursday’s The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tossed out a bold possibility.
“You need a coach who builds bridges,” MacMahon mused. “One name floating around is tied to another team but has deep ties with Jalen Brunson and folks in that Knicks circle—(Dallas Mavericks head coach) Jason Kidd. Don’t rule it out just yet.”
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MacMahon cautioned there’s no hint Kidd is itching to flee Dallas. Still, the Mavericks’ bold new era, shaped by owner Patrick Dumont and GM Nico Harrison—who floored the league by shipping Luka Dončić to the Lakers—has reportedly distanced Kidd. The ousting of beloved athletic trainer Casey Smith, a Kidd confidant, is also something to note.
“I’m not saying J-Kidd’s plotting an exit from Dallas—that’s a leap,” MacMahon stressed. “But big calls have gone down that he didn’t back, like cutting Casey Smith, a guy he’s been thick with since his Dallas playing days. Now Smith’s heading the Knicks’ health crew.”
Dallas defied 1.8 percent odds in May to nab the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick, teeing up Kidd to mold Cooper Flagg.
Yet, the Knicks’ title-ready roster, craving the perfect guide, might lure Kidd if he’s tempted to jump ship.
Kidd ended his Hall of Fame playing career as a member of the Knicks in 2013, then leaped nine days later into coaching the Brooklyn Nets, landing in Dallas by 2021 after steering the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, and serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kidd mentored Brunson for a year in Dallas before the star guard signed with New York in 2022.
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