Mavericks rumor: More evidence suggests Knicks interview head coach Kidd will be rejected

The New York Knicks may have to give up Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks when looking for a head coach.

According to The Athletic's James L. Edwards III, the Dallas Mavericks are expected to reject a request from the New York Knicks to interview Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.

Edwards quoted "multiple league sources" as saying that if the Knicks formally filed an interview request (which has been reportedly not yet made), the Dallas Mavericks would refuse, which actually forces the Knicks to give up Kidd when looking for a head coach, as Kidd's contract with the Mavericks has expired two years.

The New York Knicks reportedly began to focus on Kidd after firing Tom Thibodeau, who led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999. After Thibodeau was fired, there was a fierce quarrel inside the team, with most of the anger pointing to Thibodeau and Carl Anthony Towns, who joined the Knicks through a trade the day before training camp began. After Thibodeau was fired, the Knicks had planned to find a former player or experienced coach who could, in theory, help the Knicks reach the NBA Finals and win the team's first championship since 1973. However, there are usually fewer coaches of this type, and even fewer ones can be found.

"Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, a championship coach, is a giant in the market with experience in winning the championship. Malone, like Thibodeau, is a very good coach, but he shares many tendencies and traits with Thibodeau," Edwards wrote about Jason Kidd's alternative coaching candidate.

"Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown is also an experienced coach. So is former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darwin Hamm and former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego may also be worthy of attention. They are both excellent coaches and have achieved varying degrees of success, although only Malone has won the championship as the head coach."

"Who of these people has an advantage over Thibodeau? At least not on paper."

Kidd led the team to the Western Conference Finals in his first season with the Mavericks in 2022 and led the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024. However, his most capable player, Luka Doncic, was traded midway through the 2024-25 season. Kidd reportedly was unaware of this and might not agree to the controversial deal.

Nevertheless, the former superstar point guard has little way out of Dallas—even if he really wants to leave—and he will likely have to wait until his contract expires, or be fired before that.