The Milwaukee Bucks will trade the Brooklyn Nets two second-round picks as compensation for the rights to acquire head coach Jason Kidd and add him as the new head coach, reports ESPN's Marc Stein.
Jason Kidd joins Bucks as head coach
The Milwaukee Bucks have finalized a deal to break Jason Kidd away from his contract with the Brooklyn Nets.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The trade will send the the Bucks’ 2015 second-round pick and either their 2018 or 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner. The deal also relieves the Nets of Kidd’s remaining three years on a contract originally worth $10.5 million over four seasons.
It was originally believed Kidd would join Milwaukee as the president of basketball operations, but it was later reported that he only discussed joining the squad as head coach. That means Bucks general manager John Hammond seems to be safe at his current post, but now coach Larry Drew will be on the way out after just a year on the job.
Kidd to Milwaukee
The Nets had held out hope they could receive a first-round pick to acquire Kidd, but seemed to have settled for two second-rounders.
Kidd is familiar with new Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, who had stake in the New Jersey Nets when Kidd starred there. Lasry also served as the point guard’s financial adviser.
Kidd burned bridges in Brooklyn during his first season on the court, first highlighting a 10-21 start to the year with a $50,000 fine for asking a player to spill his drink on him to earn a free timeout. After demoting assistant coach Lawrence Frank, turning in a midseason turnaround and then pushing Brooklyn to a first-round playoff series victory, Kidd requested more power in the Nets' front office and essentially asked owner Mikhail Prokhorov for hierarchy over general manager Billy King.
The thinking from Kidd reportedly was spurred both by the larger contracts given to inexperienced former players that the Warriors gave to Steve Kerr and Knicks doled out to Derek Fisher. Also adding to Kidd's unhappiness was the power given to head coach Doc Rivers in Los Angeles, where he also serves as president of basketball operations.
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