While the 2019-20 NBA season remains postponed for the time being, the operations of the teams continue to move forward as they plan for both the potential continuation of the season as well the 2020 NBA offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers are already preparing for the 2020 NBA draft whenever that will occur, but there is one team in the Brooklyn Nets that still has a head coaching vacancy it needs to fill.
The Nets fired head coach Kenny Atkinson in what was a bit of a surprising move to many as he had helped to turn them around into a playoff team over the past couple of seasons. Jacque Vaughn has taken over as the interim head coach and while he is among the candidates being considered for the job, there is one Lakers assistant coach on the list as well.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reports that assistant coach Jason Kidd is among the list of candidates the Nets are considering for their head coaching job:
Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and the incumbent interim coach Jacque Vaughn are among the names on the Nets' developing list of coaching candidates, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2020
A Kidd reunion with the Nets would undoubtedly come as a shock as the two sides split on acrimonious terms in 2014. Kidd, of course, began his head coaching career with the Nets but after one season, he left to become the Milwaukee Bucks head coach. Kidd reportedly was seeking more management power and when that failed, he began talking with the Bucks despite them still having a head coach under contract.
Regardless, the Nets search is still in its beginning stages. While there are a number of familiar names on the list, one name not expected to be among them is former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau, via Stein:
The Nets' process to name a full-time replacement for Kenny Atkinson is not expected to hit top speed until this season is either completed or canceled, but they have been collecting names and, at this juncture, Tom Thibodeau is believed to be solely a Knicks candidate
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2020
Another former Lakers head coach could be in the running as well as Stein reports current Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown could be considered as well:
Earlier this week, @SBondyNYDN reported on the mutual interest between Clippers assistant Ty Lue and Kyrie Irving in a potential Brooklyn reunion after their time together in Cleveland. Golden State assistant coach Mike Brown is another name to monitor …
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2020
The Nets job will be a sought after one with the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant expected to be fully healthy for the 2020-21 season. The team could be a championship contender so any number of coaches would want that.
Losing Kidd would be a tough loss for the Lakers as he has been an excellent addition to head coach Frank Vogel’s staff, but it has always been known that he hopes to be a head coach again, so it’s likely only a matter of time even if it isn’t with these Nets.
