How Would a New York Knicks-Dallas Mavericks Trade for Jason Kidd Work?
The New York Knicks didn't wait long after their best season in decades to dispatch Tom Thibodeau as head coach.
The trip to the Eastern Conference Finals was impressive, but the loss to the Indiana Pacers has led to a coaching vacancy many around the NBA think may be Jason Kidd's to lose.
The primary obstruction? He already has a job (and contract) with the Dallas Mavericks.
While the Mavs can reject New York's overtures, teams don't often like retaining coaches who actively want to leave. Dallas may even come out with a statement in the coming days, but even then still agree to a trade with New York.
How would a team trading for a head coach work?
Full Trade Scenario
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The Dallas Mavericks receive: 2026 Washington Wizards protected first-round pick (via NY) and 2026 first-round swap rights (top-4 protected)
The New York Knicks receive: Jason Kidd
Note: The trade would be executed after the NBA draft. The Wizards' pick is top-10 protected; otherwise, it conveys as two seconds (2026 and 2027). If the Knicks' 2026 first-round selection is in the top four, Dallas will receive New York's 2032 second-round pick.
Why the Dallas Mavericks Do It
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The Mavericks have enough problems trying to win back the fanbase after the Luka Dončić trade. The Cooper Flagg lottery (presumably) was a stunning success for the franchise, leaping 10 spots to land the top overall selection this month.
Kidd is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and won a title in Dallas in 2011, but his relationship may have had deeper roots with former governor Mark Cuban.
The transition to Patrick Dumont, the Dončić deal and the chance to exit for the second-best team in the Eastern Conference this season may all be factors in why Kidd decides to jump ship.
By reputation, the 52-year-old has been called a chaotic Machiavellian (somewhat contradictory). When asked, several competing executives shared a similar opinion that Dallas shouldn't want him if he wants out, before things turn toxic.
"That's not the environment you want around Flagg in his first taste of the NBA," one Eastern Conference executive said.
The Mavericks can use two trades as comps (including one for Kidd). The Los Angeles Clippers sent a 2015 first-round pick to the Celtics to get Doc Rivers out of his Boston contract in 2013. In 2024, the Milwaukee Bucks sent the Brooklyn Nets two second-round picks for Kidd.
Here, at least in name, Dallas gets a first and a first swap. Realistically, since the Washington Wizards seem far from playoff-bound, the Mavericks should get two high seconds. The 2026 swap may or may not convey; if not, the bounty for Kidd would be three seconds.
Dallas would be clear of unexpected baggage, assuming Kidd pushes hard for the Knicks, and would be free to make a fresh coaching hire to best usher Flagg into the league.
Why the New York Knicks Do It
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The Knicks need a head coach, have a relationship with Kidd from his final year as a player (2012-13) and have designs on a big haul on the trade market.
It's unclear if the Milwaukee Bucks will trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. He'll need to force his way out, specifically to the Knicks, but it's certainly possible. Note that Kidd and New York would negotiate a new contract, his existing deal with Dallas would be voided out. Additionally, the Knicks and Mavericks would not be allowed to trade again throughout the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Kidd was vital in Antetokounmpo's early years in Milwaukee, pushing for the future NBA Most Valuable Player to develop as a point guard/forward.
The Knicks may want Kidd for who he was as a championship player and assistant coach (with the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers). He led Dončić and the Mavs to the 2024 NBA Finals, coached Jalen Brunson in Dallas and checks many boxes for the franchise even without Antetokounmpo.
New York would try to give up less in order to have enough for the nine-time All-Star. A deal built around Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby could yield the Bucks a long list of first-round picks via third/fourth teams.
If Kidd helps make it happen, he's worth whatever the Knicks would be willing to give up.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X @EricPincus and Bluesky.
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