The New York Knicks have zeroed in on Jason Kidd as their preferred head coaching candidate, but the situation is complicated by his long-term contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

"The Knicks absolutely would like to hire Jason Kidd to be their next head coach," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Get Up. "The question is whether the Dallas Mavericks will allow that. And that's really where this is. It will be in the Mavericks' court here. The asking of permission is a formality. If the Mavericks would agree to send Jason Kidd to the Knicks, I believe he would be with the Knicks. There's not going to be an interview. The question is what would the Mavericks do?"

Dallas holds several options: they could deny New York's request outright, offer Kidd a contract extension to keep him, or negotiate a trade that sends him to the Knicks.

The Knicks are searching for a replacement after parting ways with Tom Thibodeau following the team's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Kidd has an existing relationship with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, having coached him in Dallas before Brunson signed with New York during the 2022 offseason.

Kidd was hired by the Mavericks in 2021 to replace Rick Carlisle and has led the team to the Western Conference Finals twice, including a run to the NBA Finals in 2024.