Mavericks reportedly deny Knicks' attempt to speak with Jason Kidd after team was denied on Ime Udoka and Chris Finch
Amid speculation that he may become the new head coach of the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks fully expect Jason Kidd will remain with the organization for the foreseeable future.
The Mavericks have been privately insisting to key stakeholders that Kidd will not be leaving the franchise this offseason, according to The Athletic's Christian Clark and Sam Amick. Instead, Kidd is reportedly hoping to parlay the Knicks' interest in him into a new contract extension with the Mavericks.
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Specifics of that deal, including what it will look like or when it will be finalized, are not yet known.
The report comes amid speculation the Knicks — who fired coach Tom Thibodeau last week following their exit from the Eastern Conference finals — would try to make a play for Kidd. The organization had serious interest in hiring Kidd, per The Athletic, but were denied the opportunity to speak with the coach, NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday.
The Knicks also requested permission to speak with Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka for their open job, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. They were denied on those requests.
Kidd has spent the past four seasons with the Mavericks. He's compiled a 179-149 record and led them to their first NBA Finals appearance last season since 2011, when the team still had star Luka Dončić on the roster. While Dončić has since been traded away, the Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery this spring and are now in position to select Duke star Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick later this month.
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The Mavericks also struck a deal to hire longtime assistant Jay Triano on Tuesday. Triano, who was last on Mike Brown's staff in Sacramento, will join the team as a lead assistant. According to The Athletic, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made it clear to Triano that Kidd would be the team's head coach next season when hiring him.
The Knicks surprised the NBA world last week when they parted ways with Thibodeau, who led the team to the conference finals for the first time since 2000. He brought the team back to relevance, too, and made four postseason appearances in five years after a seven-year drought from the playoffs. There are several notable names who could replace Thibodeau in New York, though that coaching search is just getting started. New York is the only team in the league without a head coach.
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