A new rumor claims the New York Knicks plan to accelerate a pursuit of Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. While NYC basketball great Rick Pitino will not be a part of their head coach search.
Following their Eastern Conference Finals ouster over the weekend, the Knicks front office responded to their disappointing finish by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. In the days since the surprising move, there have been various rumors and reports about candidates for the opening. Including Mavs coach and Knicks veteran Jason Kidd.
Well, it seems their interest in Kidd is more than just a rumor. “The New York Knicks are expected to formally request permission to speak to the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd about their coaching vacancy in the coming days,” league sources told NBA insider Marc Stein.
Landing Kidd would be a major coup for New York. The big questions are if Dallas would at all be willing to let him go and what the cost would be. The Boston Celtics traded one-time coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 and received a future first-round pick in the deal.
Rick Pitino has no interest in New York Knicks head coach opening
Following Thibodeau’s ouster, there has been speculation about a trio of college basketball greats potentially being candidates for the opening. One of those names is current St. John’s head coach, and NY native, Rick Pitino.
That chatter came up when he joined the broadcast for the New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians game on Wednesday. However, when questioned about his potential interest in the job he had for two seasons in the 1980s, the 72-year-old said he would “absolutely not” take the position.
The Kentucky Wildcats legend had two runs in the NBA as a head coach with the Knicks and Celtics. However, the results were the opposite of the outstanding success he had in college basketball. So it is understandable why he would pass on such a high-pressure job. Especially at his advanced age.
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