New Magic head coaching candidate emerges amid recent dismissal

Up to this point, there hasn't been a lot of noise surrounding the Orlando Magic's head coaching search.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Magic have begun talking to candidates with interest in former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan -- the likely favorite -- plus Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy and San Antonio Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney.

Though they are still in the initial stages of the search. But one recent coaching change should open the horizons to another candidate.

Why Magic should entertain adding the recently-fired Jason Kidd:

President Masai Ujiri has never been afraid to be bold. Just two weeks into his new era in Dallas, he decided to shake things up on the sideline, firing head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons.

BREAKING: Jason Kidd is out as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri is making a coaching change. pic.twitter.com/NKeOrEm5rh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 19, 2026

Kidd will still be making $40 million over the next four years. So perhaps he's not rushing to find a new job, unlike Mosley, who was hired by the New Orleans Pelicans before the Magic had even conducted their search.

But if the Magic do decide to broaden their horizons, Kidd does deserve a look.

He's not an elite X's or O's mind, but like Donovan, Kidd has shown himself to be very good at managing egos and personalities. Kidd went 205-205 in five years with Dallas, but tallied two 50-win campaigns in a deep West, plus an NBA Finals appearance in 2023-24, with Luka Doncic manning the ship.

Obviously, Doncic's departure kick started a slippery slope in Dallas, outside of them winning the #CaptureTheFlagg™ sweepstakes. Nico Harrison was fired midseason, and the team dealt with a plethora of injuries, namely to guard Kyrie Irving (torn ACL). It's hard to pin Kidd's final year on him alone.

At the very least, Kidd's expertise and championship experience as a player could help guide Orlando in the right direction. They haven't made it past the first round in nearly two decades.

The reporting suggests they'd like to go with a head coach with experience. Kidd, Donovan and Van Gundy all have experience, though none of them are championship-level head coaches; each would function as "the guy before the guy," for better or worse. If that's the case, then Kidd, a solid offensive mind, deserves some level of consideration.

We'll see if the Magic hone in on anyone outside of the three rumored candidates. They are one of four teams now on the lookout for a new head coach after New Orleans and Milwaukee filled their vacancies. So I'd expect to hear more names for interviews in the coming days.

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