The post Knicks rumors: Insider reveals 'focus' of coaching search, with Jason Kidd 'wild card' appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The New York Knicks are still trying to find a new head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau days after their Eastern Conference Finals defeat. They've done their due diligence on coaches who don't have a job, while also trying to steal coaches who are already with a team.
In the latest update, it looks like the Knicks are honing in on a few options, while keeping their eyes on one key target, according to Ian Begley of SNY.
"[Taylor] Jenkins and [Mike] Brown have been the focus…they're in that top tier of the options," Begley said on The Putback. "Kidd is more of a wild card because he is under contract with Dallas , but I think they're still kind of waiting to see there on a final decision. To me, that's a wildcard."
Jenkins and Brown were both fired during the season by their respective teams this past season, but they have shown the ability to coach at a high level. Jenkins had the Grizzlies in playoff contention before he was fired, and though the Sacramento Kings had a down season, Brown has been key in their prior success. Those two are good candidates, and it wouldn't be a surprise if it came down to them as the final options.
The Knicks still seem to be holding out hope on Kidd possibly being an option as their next coach, but the chances are slim. Their chances might be even smaller now after Kidd had dinner with the Dallas Mavericks' brass and Cooper Flagg , according to The Stein Line.
"Flagg had dinner Tuesday night at Dallas' famed Bob's Steak & Chop House with several Mavericks officials. General manager Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd essentially served as co-chairs of a welcoming committee that also included new team CEO Rick Welts and former Mavericks All-Star-turned-assistant GM Michael Finley. Flagg, who would not have been eligible for this draft if he was born a mere 11 days later, attended the meal solo," The Stein Line wrote.
As of now, it seems like the Mavericks and Kidd are locked in, and it's going to take a lot for the Knicks to even try to get an interview with him. The best choice for the Knicks is to go after either Jenkins or Brown and see what happens from there.
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