Jason Kidd has emerged as a strong front-runner to be hired as the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and the team is closing in on hiring a new general manager, sources told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the soon-to-be hired general manager have had in-depth discussions about the coaching candidates, sources said.
Kidd has had the support of Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who was recently hired as a special adviser to Cuban.
Rick Carlisle, who resigned from Dallas last week, offered a strong endorsement of Kidd earlier Thursday in his introductory news conference as the new coach of the Indiana Pacers.
“My hope is that Jason Kidd will be the next coach of the Mavs because he and Luka [Doncic] have so many things in common as players,” said Carlisle, who coached Kidd for four seasons in Dallas. “I just think that it would be a great situation for Luka, and I think it would be an amazing situation for Jason. I’m the only person on the planet that’s coached both of those guys and that knows about all of their special qualities as basketball players. To me, that just would be a great marriage, but that’s just an opinion.”
The Mavericks have been searching for a new general manager since longtime president of basketball operations and GM Donnie Nelson left the team earlier this month. Nelson’s departure came after 24 years with Dallas.
Kidd, 48, has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent one season as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14 and spent the next four seasons as the Milwaukee Bucks coach.
As a player, Kidd is considered one of the greatest point guards of all time. His 19-year career earned him entrance into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.