Could LeBron, Lakers Steal Coach Kidd From Mavs?
Given how vastly different the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks’ regular seasons went, perhaps the LeBron James and the Lakers front office wishes more had been done to retain Jason Kidd, who just won Coach of the Month in the Western Conference, when the opportunity was there.
Despite a bumpy start, Kidd flourished in his first regular season coaching the Mavs. Dallas morphed into a top-10 defensive team, finishing the year with a 52-30 record and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It's the best season for the Mavs since hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2011.
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Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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The Lakers, on the other hand, not only missed the playoffs, but they missed the play-in tournament all together, despite the age-defying wonder LeBron James averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists at 37 years old. The Lakers relieved coach Frank Vogel of his duties on Tuesday as a result.
With the Lakers now needing a new head coach, they have already been linked to experienced NBA names like Quin Snyder, Mike D’Antoni and Doc Rivers. Even some college coaches — John Calipari, Juwan Howard and Bill Self — have made the betting odds list in Vegas.
Although Kidd’s name hasn’t shown up on any of these lists yet, who is to say the Lakers won’t at least make an attempt to steal Kidd back from the Mavs? After all, Kidd was beloved by James during his time as a Lakers assistant coach.
It would be smart for the Lakers to at least try it, but it would most likely be an unsuccessful attempt, as Kidd seems to be happy in the city he helped bring a title to 11 years ago. The Mavs also have transcendent superstar Luka Doncic, who is just 23 years old and likely to make his third-consecutive All-NBA First Team after the incredible season he had.
If Kidd and James were to reunite, the much more likely scenario is it happening in Dallas.
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Andrew D. Bernstein | Credit: NBAE via Getty Images
ESPN Insider (and LeBron James insider) Brian Windhorst recently told viewers to keep the idea of James teaming up with Doncic in mind as we head into what should be a crazy offseason.
"(LeBron) talked about how much he admires Luka Doncic. And that is something you should put in your back pocket,” Windhorst said. “Don't ever judge LeBron 100 percent on his words. Judge him on his actions.
"The best way you can see how LeBron feels about people is who he drafts in his All-Star draft. ... He's drafted Luka Doncic all three years he's been an All-Star."
So, could the Lakers potentially steal coach Kidd from the Mavs? We suppose anything is possible in the NBA. Crazier things have definitely happened, and Kidd has already left a head coaching gig after one season before, as he spent one season with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14 before moving on to the Milwaukee Bucks.
But the more likely possibly, if we’re merely weighing the two ideas, is the Mavs stealing James from the sunken ship that is the Los Angeles Lakers.
