Although the Brooklyn Nets may be in the midst of preparing for a playoff run in the bubble at Walt Disney World, they are still taking steps toward securing their next head coach beyond the NBA restart.
Assistant Jacque Vaughn has served as interim head coach for Brooklyn after they mutually agreed to part ways with Kenny Atkinson in the days leading up to the season shutdown back in March because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Nets appear to have their eye on another assistant currently residing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers have become well-aware of the interest Jason Kidd has generated as the top member of Frank Vogel’s coaching staff. It appears his name is starting to make the rounds once again with the Nets preparing to shift gears toward their coaching search.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Kidd has emerged as one of the candidates for the Brooklyn coaching vacancy:
Several external candidates have emerged for the job, according to league sources: Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka, LA Clippers assistant Ty Lue and former Rockets and Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy.
The rumors swirling around Kidd hardly come as any surprise considering his ties to the Nets organization. After all, they had given him his first head coaching gig right after he put the finishing touches on his illustrious playing career.
The Lakers made headlines with their decision to make Kidd a part of Vogel’s staff as the highest-paid assistant in the NBA. While there was plenty of speculation regarding how this dynamic would play out, the team’s success thus far has now added some major pedigree to both of their resume’s.
Though Kidd is thriving in his role with Los Angeles, reports indicate that he is open to taking on another head coaching job. This was evidenced by his rumored interest in the New York Knicks’ job, which has since been filled by Tom Thibodeau.
Kidd’s experience coaching one of the league’s most prolific tandems in LeBron James and Anthony Davis make him uniquely suited to oversee the pairing of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, the key role he played in helping this Lakers team meet their high expectations should also make him an ideal candidate to do the same for the Nets.
Whether or not the Lakers manage to win this year’s title, Kidd could be poised to take over one of the NBA’s budding powerhouses come the offseason.
Lakers assistant Lionel Hollins remaining involved
While Kidd is with the Lakers in Orlando, the same can’t be said for Lionel Hollins. He was flagged as a medical risk and therefore deemed unable to join the team in the bubble.
The team has nonetheless kept Hollins involved remotely during practices and coaching meetings.
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