Los Angeles Lakers lead assistant coach Jason Kidd has been in the news more than anyone else from the organization to begin the 2021 offseason. This is because he has been tied to practically every open head coaching position that currently exists.
Initially, it was the Portland Trail Blazers that seemed most likely to earn his services in large part because of Damian Lillard’s endorsement. Then, he surprisingly removed himself from consideration, leading many to speculate about where he would go instead.
There are seven head coaching positions available, and Kidd is among the betting favorites for all six that aren’t the Trail Blazers. However, he is the No. 1 favorite for the New Orleans Pelicans, who parted ways with Stan Van Gundy after just one season.
Lakers asst coach Jason Kidd continues to be linked to head coaching vacancies. Kidd is currently the favorite for the Pelicans job at 7/2, according to @betonline_ag.
Other gigs:
Celtics – Kidd: 10/1
Mavs – Kidd: 8/1
Pacers – Kidd: 12/1
Magic – Kidd: 10/1
Wizards – Kidd: 15/2— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) June 18, 2021
Of the six positions that he is among the candidates listed, the Pelicans certainly makes the most sense. They are a young team loaded with talent that is simply looking for the guy to help them make the leap into the playoffs.
While he never led them to anywhere near a championship, Kidd played that exact role as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. He took a young and talented team to the playoffs on a couple of occasions but lacked coaching pedigree to get them anywhere beyond that.
Now that he’s won a title on the bench with the Lakers, he may have what it takes to really bring the Pelicans what they need. The same can be said for the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, who have talent but just need one extra thing.
Regardless of where he does go, it appears that his time with the Lakers is rapidly nearing its end. It will be fascinating to see where he goes and what the Lakers do with the open position he’ll leave behind.
Kidd discusses what he learned from Frank Vogel
Part of why Kidd has become such a desirable head coaching candidate is the valuable time he spent alongside Frank Vogel. Kidd spoke about what he learned specifically from the Lakers head coach, saying that he appreciates Vogel’s communication skills and his willingness to admit when he’s wrong, among other things.
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