After Tom Thibodeau’s exit, the New York Knicks are looking for a new head coach. Jason Kidd said he was the option, and Kendrick Perkins felt that Kidd was the right choice.
Jason Kidd has become one of the most trusted coaches in the NBA in recent years. He led the Dallas Mavericks to a successful season, including a run to the 2024 NBA Finals. Kidd faces problems, one of which was the infamous Luka Donsic trade in early 2025.
With Doncic being the top four player in the league, when such a deal occurs, coaches struggle. After signing a multi-year contract extension with the Mavericks in 2024, Kidd will be coaching for a while. However, that could change as New York Knicks’ interest in Kid intensifies.
This comes after the Knicks parted ways with former head coach Tom Thibodeau after the Eastern Conference Finals. The Kid is one of the options alongside Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. This interest led Kendrick Perkins to give his opinion.
The Knicks may have lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they are closest to Eastern best teams. They were two games away from the NBA Finals, but they blew out many opportunities to gain advantage.
Many attribute these mistakes to Thibodeau, the coach who “sets the way he does it.” He was still successful and led them to multiple playoff runs. But it didn’t win them in the Eastern Conference or the NBA Finals.
Thibodeau was not the best choice for fighting offensives. He coaches well in his defensive schemes, but he lacked offensive creativity. They relied on Jalen Brunson making plays, which worked well often, but the team had to be more dynamic.
Kidd can improve his offense given that he is a creative force during his playing career. Perkins supports the Knicks’ decision if he hires Kid to pull the trigger. Coincidentally, Perkins was also a critic of Thibodeau’s voice in the 2025 playoffs.
“If we’re going to fire Coach Thibodeau, the guy who built this culture and brought the energy back to New York, we’ve got to hire a guy like Jason Kidd,” Perkins told the Sports Center.
“He coached Jalen Branson, so he knows what Jalen Branson is like. You have to take someone who becomes neutral, hold the guy accountable. He’s also respected. I want to see it.”
Kidd has signed a long-term contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks. If the Knicks want him, they want Kid to finish his deal and move to the East Coast. This is a dangerous move for the Mavs head coach as they have to break the contract to do this.
Given that he played his final NBA season in the 2012-13 campaign, he found no issues with the Knicks. Branson has become a familiar face as they worked together from 2021-22. They reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the ultimate champion, the Golden State Warriors.
If that relationship is still strong, the Knicks have good dynamics between the head coach and the star player. However, as Kidd is in a long-term deal with Dallas, it is unlikely that he will join the Knicks. The Mavericks have Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, with Cooper Flag becoming the No. 1 pick overall.