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Earlier on Monday, we learned that the New York Knicks were interested in interviewing Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd to be their next head coach.
Not long after, greatest Cal State Fullerton alumnus ever and NBA Hall of Famer Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that the Knicks had gotten permission from the Lakers to interview Kidd for the gig:
The Knicks have requested and received permission to interview the Lakers' Jason Kidd for their head coaching vacancy, @NYTSports has learned
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2020
A few other insiders followed up with more context:
Sources: Knicks asked Lakers GM Rob Pelinka for permission to talk with Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd for NY’s head coaching vacancy. Kidd spoke with the Knicks Friday. The two sides hope to talk in person before the Lakers head to Orlando to be in the “bubble.”
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 22, 2020
Sources close to Kidd have said that he would have interest in this job (he played for Dolan and Knicks in last successful season for NY) - and some teams interested in Kidd think that he could provide a link to the prize of next year's free agent class, Giannis. https://t.co/dlaYw7Oa1m
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) June 22, 2020
The Knicks are not the only team that is considering hiring Kidd, as the Brooklyn Nets also reportedly have interest in him for their own open head coaching job. Additionally, ESPN recently reported that Kidd is “eager” to get another chance as a head coach.
But whether the Knicks, Nets, or any other team are the ones to give Kidd that shot he desires, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he’d leave the Lakers immediately. In recent years, it’s been pretty normal for highly regarded assistants to be interviewed and hired during postseason runs, and most of them stay and finish out their time with their current team.
That said, as our own Christian Rivas noted this morning, losing Kidd would potentially be a blow to the Lakers’ chances of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021, although at the same time, it’s not like a) they can really do anything about that or b) anything to completely plan your coaching staff around while trying to win.
It’s also worth noting that the Knicks have been an embarrassing, rudderless mess for decades. To call them a dumpster fire would simultaneously be an insult to both dumpsters, and the element of fire. It is possible that Kidd doesn’t get this job, and it’s also possible that no matter how “eager” he is for his next shot, he may see how the Knicks have destroyed the reputation of everyone involved with them for years (especially coaches) and want to wait for a better job to come open.
Whatever happens, stay tuned to Silver Screen and Roll and we’ll keep you updated on the process.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.