Knicks Coaching Candidate Gets Big News

The Dallas Mavericks' top assistant made a move that could indirectly affect the New York Knicks' coaching search.

Oct 24, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; in Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd (left) and assistant coach Sean Sweeney (right) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

One prime candidate for the New York Knicks' head coaching job received some big news on Sunday.

Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the San Antonio Spurs will name Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney the first associate head coach of the Mitch Johnson era. Sweeney had earned interviews for the top spots in Detroit and Phoenix prior to Sunday's reveal and will now work under Johnson, who takes over the San Antonio reigns from Gregg Popovich.

That's big news for Jason Kidd, who continues to stand as one of the reported prime candidates for the vacancy that ousted coach Tom Thibodeau left behind. Sweeney had been an assistant under Kidd in his prior stops as a boss in Brooklyn and Milwaukee and the Mavericks lose yet another trusted name from their 2024 NBA Finals run.

How exactly this effect the Knicks' pursuit of Kidd, who is said to still stand as a New York target despite Dallas' reported denial to speak to him, remains to be seen. If Kidd indeed left North Texas, Sweeney likely would've stood as a potential immediate successor.

With Sweeney gone, keeping Kidd could become a bigger priority for Dallas, which is likely eager for some form of stability with former franchise face Luka Doncic gone and Duke sensation Cooper Flagg likely coming in with the top pick of NBA Draft this week.

With Dallas still denying contact with Kidd, the Knicks have made some progress by interviewing current free agents Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins.

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