Jason Kidd finished his first year as an NBA head coach with a 44-38 record, coaching the Brooklyn Nets to the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Kidd entered the off-season with higher aspirations, and after being denied control of the Nets' basketball operations, the Milwaukee Bucks have been granted permission to speak with him, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York Post:
Jason Kidd may join Bucks after Nets deny promotion, according to report
Jason Kidd asked for more control of the Nets, but was denied. Brooklyn did grant him something else, though.
Mike Ehrmann
According to a league source, Kidd recently approached ownership with a series of demands, including the role of overseeing the Nets’ basketball operations department in addition to his head coaching responsibilities. The source said Kidd didn’t want general manager Billy King to be dismissed, but wanted to be given a title and placed above him in the organizational hierarchy.
Ownership declined to grant Kidd that kind of power, which is rare for any coach in the league to have...
The franchise then was approached by the Bucks for permission to speak with Kidd about the prospect of hiring him, and the Nets granted permission.
This is a bold move by both sides. Kidd only has one year of experience in a non-player role and made huge demands. The Nets, on the other hand, are playing from behind in their search for a replacement if Kidd meets with Milwaukee and accepts a role with the Bucks.
Milwaukee would also be making a statement to current head coach Larry Drew by meeting with Kidd. Drew finished his first season as Bucks head coach with the worst record in the NBA, going just 15-67. The Bucks signed Drew to a three-year contract with a team option on the fourth. John Hammond is Milwaukee's current general manager, holding the position since 2008.
The Bucks are moving in a fresh direction, with a new owner after the team was sold in April, and Jabari Parker, the second-overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft as their new franchise player. It's unclear what kind of role Milwaukee is interested in offering Kidd, and only a few head coaches also have control of basketball operations.
UPDATE, 6/28 10:33 p.m. ET: Kidd’s primary interest with the Bucks is in a role similar to Doc Rivers or Gregg Popovich, according to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s unclear what that specifically entails, but both of the names mentioned coach while also controlling basketball operations. He could be targeting a front office role exclusively, however, as Bleacher Reports’ Howard Beck reports Kidd isn’t interested in coaching Milwaukee.
The situation is crazy with reports popping up left and right, including one from Racine Journal Times’ Gary Woefel that indicates the Bucks have already offered Kidd the Bucks’ president job.
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