The Knicks reportedly have ‘strong internal interest’ in interviewing Jason Kidd to be their next head coach

When the Los Angeles Lakers were linked to Jason Kidd last summer, a large number of their fans weren’t pleased, and justifiably so.

Not only does Kidd have a shaky record off of the court, but he wasn’t especially successful as a head coach in his stints with the Brooklyn Nets (44-38) and Milwaukee Bucks (139-152) either. There were also concerns about Kidd using his relationship with LeBron James to replace Frank Vogel as the team’s head coach sooner rather than later.

As it turns out, Kidd hasn’t burned the organization to the ground — in fact, he’s been a bit of an afterthought in the midst of all the success the Lakers have enjoyed. However, his role in the team’s immediate success has reportedly caught the attention of the New York Knicks, who are in the market for a new head coach.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, there are people in the Knicks’ front office that are angling for Kidd to get an interview:

In addition to the Knicks’ interview with Brown, there has been strong internal interest when it comes to the potential of the team interviewing Jason Kidd, reports Begley.

Kidd, 47, was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2013-2014 and of the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-2018 (after the Bucks acquired Kidd’s coaching rights for two second-round draft picks). He was fired by the Bucks in January of 2018 and is currently an assistant coach with the Lakers.

It’s unclear how Kidd’s departure from the Lakers would affect the team in the immediate future, but with how eager he is to be a head coach again — and given that the Knicks are not even the only New York-based team interested in him — it sounds like it’s only a matter of time before Kidd is on another team’s bench. For the Lakers’ sake, let’s hope that time comes after the summer of 2021, when Kidd’s former player Giannis Antetokounmpo will enter unrestricted free agency.

Kidd might not be the deciding factor for Antetokounmpo’s league-altering decision, but he could be a factor, and with a talent like Giannis on the line, the Lakers will be hoping to have every edge they can get over their opponents. Once Giannis is secured, Kidd can coach the Lakers for all I care.

That was a joke — please don’t.

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