Which of the NBA's 3 Openings Could Fit Former Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd?

Jason Kidd is without a job after Masai Ujiri decided it was best for the Dallas Mavericks to move in another direction. Kidd spent five years as the head coach in Dallas, leading the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, then the NBA Finals in 2024. However, he missed the playoffs entirely in his other three seasons.

While the Mavericks search for their next coach, Kidd also could be looking for a new job. He had more than $40 million remaining on the contract extension he just signed a year ago, so he could be satisfied to just collect his paycheck and take some time off. There are some other NBA jobs open, though; could he be considered for any of them?

The Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans have already hired their coach, going with Taylor Jenkins and Jamahl Mosley, respectively. Outside of the Mavs, that leaves three more openings: the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, and Portland Trail Blazers. Which one would be the best for Kidd?

Apr 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are a long way away from competing, which is what Jason Kidd will want. While he's great at individual elite talents, as he did with Cooper Flagg and Giannis Antetokounmpo, there's no elite young talent on the Bulls. Matas Buzelis has an argument, but his ceiling isn't as high as the aforementioned.

Chicago does hold the 4th and 15th picks in a loaded draft class, a big market, and a new front office. That makes it an intriguing job, but they're likely not close enough to competing for it to be a consideration for Kidd.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland made a surprise run to the playoffs this season behind a mostly young team with Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and others, but they also had a few big veterans, such as Jrue Holiday and Robert Williams III.

They just changed owners, and the new owner, Tom Dundon, has been in the headlines recently for being a "cheap" owner. Originally, they were planning on paying a coach a lot less than the standard across the NBA, but maybe that would be okay for Kidd for a few years, who likely doesn't want to offset much of the money that the Mavs owe him.

The owner cheaping out on other expenses could keep Kidd from wanting that job, though.

Orlando Magic

Of the three, Orlando feels like the best fit. They have a lot of talent with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmone Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and more, but they've struggled to get the most out of the roster, losing in the first round in each of the last three playoffs.

Kidd has shown to be a playoff raiser if he can get his teams there. He's also a better defensive coach, which fits the style of Orlando's roster. They've struggled a lot offensively, and Kidd would need to find a good assistant for that, as most of his offensive success came by having Luka Doncic.

Orlando had interest in hiring Kidd before he took the Mavericks job in 2021. Whether they'd kick the tires again has yet to be seen.

It's also entirely possible that Kidd could take the year off and wait for a better opportunity. This was a move made late in the process. When he was let go by Milwaukee, he took a year off before joining the LA Lakers as an assistant. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see him choose a similar path.

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