Mavericks fans will revolt again if Nico Harrison allows unthinkable Jason Kidd move

When Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, fans were calling for Nico Harrison's job immediately after it was revealed that Harrison pulled off a one-sided power move to ship Doncic out for Anthony Davis. Because of Harrison's close relationship with Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, as well as the fact that the two men came into Dallas' organization as a presumed package deal, many fans haven't accepted reports that Kidd knew nothing about the trade before it happened.

While Kidd hasn't been nearly as much of a scapegoat for the Doncic trade compared to Harrison, many fans have still called for his job despite his recent success in Dallas, citing poor stylistic choices offensively, having gripes with his rotation, or even wanting him to show more passion on the sideline. However, a vast majority of Mavericks fans have enjoyed what Kidd has brought to this team and it's objectively true he's revitalized his coaching career in Dallas, but it seems like there's a slight chance (subscription required) Kidd could entertain the newly-opened New York Knicks head coach position after Tom Thibodeau was recently fired according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

After leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals, many around the league posited Thibodeau's job security could be up in the air because of his negligence to tap deeper into his rotation until late in the playoffs, as well as the fact that New York's offense lacked the diversity needed to win a championship. However, almost no analysts or media expected a head coaching vacancy to be created in the No. 1 media market in the entire country just days after the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs, and Kidd currently seems to be on a very short list of potential candidates to fill this position.

Letting Jason Kidd join the Knicks would be a disaster for Nico Harrison

Stein only listed four names in his article that New York could be looking at to fill this vacancy, though it should be noted that New York is only a day removed from firing Thibodeau, and nothing seems to be concrete quite yet. The other names were Villanova University head coach Jay Wright, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant. Stein refuted the notion Udoka or Wright would want to take this job, but he didn't close the door on the Mavericks letting Kidd interview for this position, which would ultimately be a grave mistake by Harrison if he lets that happen.

"One source with knowledge of the Rockets' thinking told The Stein Line categorically that permission to speak with Udoka would be rejected if the Knicks requested it," Stein wrote. "A similar response would be expected from the Mavericks, but a read on their position as conclusive as Houston's could not be immediately confirmed Tuesday night."

While it's good that Stein thinks Dallas likely wouldn't entertain the possibility of Kidd leaving, or even interviewing for the position, the Mavericks need to ensure this is something that doesn't happen. There's already been enough inner turmoil and disarray within the Mavericks organization ever since Doncic was traded, and Kidd kept the locker room dialed on winning and staying together despite all the adversity the squad faced with media scrutiny and injuries this past season.

Kidd obviously hasn't been the perfect coach in Dallas from the get-go, but he's been very solid in an industry where perfection isn't always attainable, and he's done a great job at managing player relations and being a forward-facing figure for the organization. Players across the league respect Kidd and his acumen, especially fellow future Hall of Fame point guard Kyrie Irving, so losing Kidd would create an extremely hard problem for Dallas to fill and would majorly mess with their already limited continuity.

It seems extremely unlikely Harrison would let Kidd interview for the Knicks position, but Kidd's ties to New York are clear with him having already coached Jalen Brunson in Dallas and having played for the Knicks in the twilight of his career, and it wouldn't be surprising if a Knicks head coaching job featured a pay upgrade for Kidd compared to the extension he signed with Dallas during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

As aforementioned, Harrison and Kidd were a package deal and have had a working relationship since Harrison's days at Nike, so it'd be absurd for Harrison to let Kidd slip through the cracks to reunite with Brunson after they were just celebrating together amidst Dallas winning the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, granting Kidd the opportunity to coach a potential generational talent in Cooper Flagg.

However, crazier things have happened in the last few months, as Mavericks fans know all too well, and Harrison's volatility can't be discounted in any situation, however unlikely it is.