Knicks Reportedly Still Have Chance at Jason Kidd, Billy Donovan Despite Denials
Even though the New York Knicks' requests to interview Jason Kidd and Billy Donovan have been turned down, there's some thought at least one of them could still become available to them.
Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, there is a "belief" within NBA circles that Kidd and Donovan could try to force the issue because of their connections to New York.
The Athletic's James L. Edwards III later reported that the Knicks "might circle back to" both Kidd and Donovan "in the coming weeks."
"The belief around the league is that Kidd and Donovan are looking for contract extensions from their current franchises, and if those don’t materialize, they might be open to joining the Knicks," Edwards wrote.
Since firing Tom Thibodeau on June 3, the Knicks have been denied the opportunity by five different teams to interview their head coaches. That group includes Kidd, Donovan, Chris Finch, Ime Udoka and Quin Snyder.
The report noted that Kidd still has a lot of relationships with Knicks officials from when he played with them during the 2012-13 season and his past work coaching Jalen Brunson with the Dallas Mavericks.
Donovan, who is from New York, appeared in 44 games for the Knicks during the 1987-88 season in his only stint as an NBA player.
Kidd is not above causing a stir if he's in a situation that doesn't suit what he wants. The 52-year-old left the Brooklyn Nets in July 2014 to become head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks after clashing with Nets ownership because he wanted more control over basketball operations.
The Bucks sent two second-round draft picks to Brooklyn as compensation for hiring Kidd.
Per The Athletic's James Edwards III, Kidd "didn’t always enjoy" being the Mavs public spokesperson after the Luka Dončić trade. That could serve as an opening for him to want out, but there's been no indication at this point he's looking to leave Dallas.
After Thibodeau's firing, Donovan became the third-longest tenured head coach with his current team in the NBA. He just finished his fifth season with the Chicago Bulls. Only Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat (17 seasons) and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors (11 seasons) have been with their teams longer.
Despite just one winning season and one playoff appearance in his tenure with the Bulls, Donovan said in February he wants "to be part of building something" in Chicago.
It's unclear how the Knicks might go about getting either the Mavs or Bulls to change their mind about speaking with their coaches, but they might still have some hope that it's possible before they turn to other potential candidates.
