Mavericks' frightening first domino of Jason Kidd disaster just dropped with a thud

News within Dallas Mavericks circles over the last few days has all surrounded Jason Kidd, as the New York Knicks are interested in making him their next head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau earlier this week. While it initially seemed unlikely that Kidd would leave the Mavericks for the Knicks, the rumors are starting to pick up some steam.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Knicks plan to ask the Mavericks if they can interview Kidd for their open head coaching position, and he could not get a grasp on whether Dallas would accept or decline that request from New York.

Regardless of whether the Mavs let the Knicks speak to Kidd or not, this interest from New York in Kidd is "strong." Dallas may be in trouble if they decide to let Kidd speak to the Knicks, as they offer him a great situation to step into, and he would rejoin Jalen Brunson and Casey Smith once again.

Mavericks letting Kidd interview with Knicks could cost them dearly

Figuring out if the Mavericks will allow the Knicks to interview Kidd or not will be the first and biggest domino to fall in this saga, as Dallas allowing him to interview for that position would show they aren't fully confident with him at the helm moving forward. If the Mavericks badly wanted Kidd to lead their team for years to come through the end of his contract, they would turn down the Knicks' request to interview him (like the Houston Rockets plan to do with Ime Udoka according to Stein's report), and reports over the next few days about if they allow Kidd to interview or not will be telling of Dallas' stance.

It has been clear that Kidd has not been happy with multiple organizational decisions the Mavericks have made over the last few years, including the Luka Doncic trade and the brutal firing of Casy Smith, and while Stein reported that Kidd is "believed to be happy in Dallas," the Knicks could offer him an opportunity that he can't pass up.

Kidd leaving the Mavericks for the Knicks could have devastating effects, as Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis cherish him dearly, and he has been one of the best "players' coaches" the team has ever had. His relationships with his players are outstanding, as he truly has a unique ability to strongly relate to them, and he is excellent at managing superstar personalities.

Managing your superstars is one of the hardest things to do in sports, and Kidd has this skill down to a science. He was instrumental in helping the Irving-Doncic partnership flourish like it did, and the Mavs losing him right before they add another superstar in Cooper Flagg would be the worst possible outcome.

With that being said, Kidd has spoken about Flagg multiple times over the last few weeks on different podcast appearances, and he seems genuinely excited. The addition of Flagg could be just enough for Kidd to not look elsewhere, and the next few days will likely be crucial in figuring out how the Mavs feel about the Knicks rumblings.

Despite all of the challenges Kidd has been presented with over the last few months, he has handled them remarkably, and fans would be crushed if he packed his bags for New York. Mavericks fans will quickly know how the team truly feels about Kidd leaving for the Knicks by how Dallas responds to New York's request, and we'll have you covered with all the latest.