According to ESPN, sources informed them Monday that the Brooklyn Nets have agreed to trade the coaching rights of Jason Kidd to the Milwaukee Bucks for two second round picks.
Immediately following the Kidd news was an announcement that Milwaukee has fired their head coach Larry Drew.
The deal is about what you would expect for a coach who only has one year under his belt and for a team filled with veterans who barely kept their head above water; the Nets will receive a second round pick next year and in 2019. Yippie.
Reports circling the web claim that Kidd was unhappy with his situation in Brooklyn because he had no control over basketball operations — essentially meaning he wanted control to manage the team on top of coaching it. The news this morning does not confirm Kidd will have these advantages in Milwaukee.
The source told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz that the Bucks have talked to Kidd only about being the coach, not any kind of administrative position running basketball operations. The source said the negotiation was supposed to be between the owners, not involving any basketball personnel, before the New York Post leaked the story. But the source said the negotiations are now being handled by Bucks general manager John Hammond and Nets GM Billy King.
The source said the jobs of Hammond and high-ranking Bucks officials David Morway and Dave Babcock would not be in jeopardy if Kidd is hired as coach.
A league source told ESPNNewYork.com that Lionel Hollins has already emerged as “a very serious candidate” to become head coach of the Nets if Kidd goes to Milwaukee.
Of course another reason Kidd might find Milwaukee more attractive — which is, by the way, the first time I’m sure anyone has ever typed that sentence — is the fact that the Bucks just drafted arguably the best player in the draft, soon to be superstar Jabari Parker, who is without a doubt, the real deal.
My prediction is that Brooklyn won’t miss Kidd, and the young coach will have his work cut out for him not matter where he lands.
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