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Mavericks GM Tries to End Knicks' Jason Kidd Talk

The New York Knicks' interest in the Dallas Mavericks' head coach cast something of a pall on an otherwise joyful night in North Texas.
Geoff Magliocchetti|
Feb 10, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison walks off the court before the game between the Dallas and the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Feb 10, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison walks off the court before the game between the Dallas and the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The Dallas Mavericks don't appear to be Kidding around with the New York Knicks.

Wednesday featured Cooper Flagg's first Maverick moments, as the team officially made the Duke phenom the top pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Amidst the team's time in the basketball spotlight, it still had to deal with the ever-present threat of the Knicks' rumored hunt of head coach Jason Kidd.

General manager Nick Harrison attempted to snuff out talk of the chase once and for all shortly after Flagg's introduction, reminding the public that his group has already denied the Knicks an opportunity to speak with Kidd about the idea of succeeding the ousted Tom Thibodeau.

"Still out there about J-Kidd? I thought I shut them down," Harrison said with a smirk in video from Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. "Yes, he will be the coach next year."

Even with Harrison's denial, rumors will likely only continue to persist until either Kidd gets a contract extension in North Texas or if the Knicks hire another man.

Despite the denials of Dallas, hardwood fan fiction pairing Kidd and the Knicks, who hosted the final season of his Hall of Fame playing career in 2012-13, has continued to persist. Though Kidd is under contract with the Mavericks, the Knicks can still obtain his services through a trade if their hearts are truly set on him.

Drafting Flagg is part of what has already been an eventful offseason for the Mavericks, who have bid farewell to tenured Kidd assistant Sean Sweeney while retaining Kyrie Irving on a $119 million contract extension.

Keeping his word about Kidd would likely help Harrison re-establish at least some of his goodwill with Mavericks fans, who have continued to express displeasure over his shocking trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers despite the good lottery fortune that landed Flagg, the consensus top selection out of Duke.

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.

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