Dallas Mavericks Confidence in Jason Kidd: A Battle for the Coachs Future

The New York Knicks' coaching search is heating up, with rumors swirling that Jason Kidd could be the next head coach of the team. However, the Dallas Mavericks are confident that Kidd will remain with their organization for the foreseeable future. According to The Athletic's Christian Clark and Sam Amick, the Mavericks have been privately insisting to key stakeholders that Kidd will not be leaving the franchise this offseason. Instead, Kidd is reportedly hoping to leverage the Knicks' interest in him into a new contract extension with the Mavericks. The specifics of that deal, including what it will look like or when it will be finalized, are not yet known. The Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau last week following their exit from the Eastern Conference finals, and they had serious interest in hiring Kidd. However, they were denied the opportunity to speak with the coach, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. 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, but they were denied on those requests as well, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Kidd has spent the past four seasons with the Mavericks, compiling a 179-149 record and leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. While star Luka 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. Additionally, the Mavericks 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' decision to part ways with Thibodeau last week surprised many in the NBA world. Thibodeau led the team to the conference finals for the first time since 2000 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 currently the only team in the league without a head coach. As the Knicks continue to search for their next head coach, it remains to be seen if Kidd will ultimately end up in New York or if he will remain with the Mavericks for another season. The future of both teams is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the coaching search is sure to be a highly anticipated and closely watched process in the NBA this offseason.