Knicks Halted From Talking To Established Head Coaches Like Kidd, Udoka And Finch

The Dallas Mavericks have become the latest team to halt the New York Knicks in their search for a new head coach.

The Mavericks firmly rejected the Knicks’ request to speak with head coach Jason Kidd, sources told ESPN.

When reports initially surfaced that the Knicks were interested in Kidd, Dallas didn’t immediately shut down his availability, which raised some questions about Kidd’s future in Dallas.

It makes sense for the Mavericks not to let their coach interview for another job, given that they have the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, which they are expected to use on Cooper Flagg. Additionally, Kidd has strong relationships with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, as well as general manager Nico Harrison.

Kidd joins the likes of Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch as those teams have denied permission to interview with the Knicks, sources confirmed.

The Knicks are searching for a new coach after firing Tom Thibodeau last week in a surprising move after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.

Udoka and Finch are both coming off successful seasons with their respective teams, as the Rockets ended a four-year playoff drought as the West’s No. 2 seed and the Wolves made their second straight Western Conference finals appearance.

Jay Wright, who coached three current Knicks starters when he was at Villanova, reportedly informed the Knicks last week that he wouldn’t be interested in the position.

The Knicks are said to want a coach with experience, and while that rules out assistants like Johnnie Bryant of the Cavaliers, that doesn’t mean the Knicks won’t explore that option. The Knicks are expected to do an exhaustive search for the next coach.