Jason Kidd may be a logical option to replace Tom Thibodeau as head coach of the New York Knicks—but only if the Dallas Mavericks are willing to let him leave without demanding compensation in return.
Failing that, the Knicks must be prepared to walk away, and explore other options.
First thing’s first: New York is planning to ask Dallas for permission to speak with the 52-year-old about its current head coach opening, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. The Mavs could always refuse, but Kidd reportedly isn’t totally vibing the organization’s direction following a handful of personnel decisions, which presumably includes the fallout from the Luka Doncic trade.
Still, teams don’t usually let their current head coaches exit stage left for absolutely nothing. It’s different if the Mavs were planning to fire Kidd. By all appearances, though, he’s not on the hot seat. And given team president Nico Harrison’s background, it would be a genuine shocker if he allowed Kidd to bolt not just for another team, but the one that controversially plucked Jalen Brunson out of Dallas.
This doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker for the Knicks. If they decide Kidd is The Guy, they should be prepared to part with some money. Beyond that? It needs to be a hard pass.
Yes, NBA teams can give up assets for coaches
Head coach trades aren’t particularly common in the NBA. Heck, they’re not exactly trades, either. These transactions feature one team letting a head coach out of their contract, freeing them up to sign one with another squad, in exchange for compensation.
Somewhat ironically, Kidd was the last coach to be involved in this type of deal. The Milwaukee Bucks gave up two second-round picks to get him from the Brooklyn Nets in 2014. But compensation for poaching other teams’ head coaches can cost more.
Doc Rivers fetched a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2013, when he was seeking to leave the Boston Celtics. The Miami Heat gave up a first-round pick and $1 million cash to the New York Knicks in 1995 to get Pat Riley. Here are some other notable instances of this happening:
Anything in the realm of what you're seeing above—a first-rounder and cash or two seconds—shouldn't fly with the Knicks' Leon Rose front office. Kidd must become a hard pass for them if it reaches that point.
The Knicks' no longer have expendable assets to trade
This isn't just about whether Kidd is worth the potential cost of acquisition, though that’s certainly part of the discussion. New York simply can’t be in the business of surrendering assets for non-players.
Pretty much all of the Knicks’ tradeable first-round picks were shipped out last summer, when they acquired Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. They can move first-round swaps in 2026, 2030 and 2032, as well as the Washington Wizards’ 2026 first-rounder, which will (almost definitely) turn into two seconds once they finish inside the top 10 of next year’s lottery. After that, the Knicks don’t have their own second until 2032, and only have a couple of other seconds coming in from other trades.
Now, if the Mavs want the No. 50 pick in this year’s draft in exchange for Kidd? The Knicks can talk about it. But their overarching lack of assets should prohibit them from giving up multiple seconds, let alone another first-round swap.
Every single sweetener they have is too precious without more in the reserves. These seconds and swaps could be the finishing touches in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Or a Kevin Durant trade.
No, those exact scenarios aren’t especially likely. The idea that these picks could turn into cost-controlled talent the Knicks develop, or be used as sweeteners in trades that land them actual rotation players? That isn’t just on the table. It is a top priority for them this offseason, and beyond.
Risking those opportunities in exchange for Kidd is a no-go. New York clearly didn’t fire Tom Thibodeau with another name in mind anyway, otherwise this process would be further along. So if the Mavs demand anything beyond financial compensation for Kidd, the Knicks can and should and must take the search elsewhere.