Knicks' Jason Kidd Interview Request Reportedly Denied By Mavericks amid Rumors

The New York Knicks reportedly won't have the opportunity to interview Jason Kidd for their vacant head coaching position.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday that the Knicks formally requested permission from the Dallas Mavericks to interview Kidd, and they were turned down.

ESPN's Shams Charania confirmed the report and added that the Knicks have also been denied permission to interview Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch.

Last week, the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons on the job. Thibodeau led the Knicks to the playoffs four times, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals this season, which marked their first ECF appearance since 2000.

Shortly after Thibodeau's firing, Stein reported on the Knicks' interest in Kidd and Udoka, but he noted that the Mavericks and Rockets were not expected to grant permission to the Knicks to interview their head coaches.

Stein also reported that Kidd is "believed to be happy" in Dallas and excited to coach Duke star Cooper Flagg, whom the Mavericks are expected to select first overall in the 2025 NBA draft. However, James Edwards III of The Athletic said he's gathered that the Knicks' pursuit of Kidd "might not stop" with the official denial from the Mavericks.

Kidd is a Hall of Fame guard who played for both the Mavs and Knicks during his career, and he now has extensive head coaching experience as well.

Over his nine seasons as an NBA head coach with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Mavericks, Kidd has posted a 362-339 record with five playoff appearances.

He is 179-149 in four seasons with the Mavs, leading them to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024.

Things did not go according to plan for Kidd and the Mavericks this season, as they went 39-43 and missed the playoffs.

Extenuating circumstances played a role in the Mavs' disappointing campaign, though, as they traded superstar guard Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package headlined by Anthony Davis in February.

Davis got injured shortly after the trade and missed significant time, while superstar guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL in March.

With a healthy core of Davis, Irving and Flagg, the Mavericks have a chance to be big-time contenders in the Western Conference next season, so Kidd's reported desire to remain in Dallas makes plenty of sense.

At the same time, the Knicks have consistently been a top team in the Eastern Conference in recent years, and they have continued to make progress toward their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

Although the Knicks have not had any success in poaching a head coach away from their current team, their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart figures to be of great interest to any head coaching candidate who is actually available.