Jason Kidd somehow tricked the Dallas Mavericks yet again

Kidd took over as the head coach in 2021 after the Mavericks let go of longtime head coach Rick Carlisle, who, like Kidd, has led the Indiana Pacers to a Conference Finals and a separate NBA Finals appearance.

"J-Kidd’s basketball resume is one of the best in the game, and through every situation, he has proven he’s the right person to lead the Mavericks," Nico Harrison said. "He has a track record of developing some of the best talent in the league, as well as the ability to connect with players to bring out the best version of themselves. J is the perfect head coach to lead this team to championship contention now and for years to come.”

How Jason Kidd Fooled the Mavericks Into Another Extension

There was a LOT of chatter this offseason about potential mutual interest between Jason Kidd and the New York Knicks, who fired Tom Thibodeau despite making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. They ended up hiring Mike Brown, who was fired by the Sacramento Kings this year, but the rumors were undeniable.

Kidd already spurned the Mavericks for the Knicks once as a player near the end of his career, and it could've happened again. Except, it would've been nearly impossible. Kidd was already under contract as the head coach of the Mavs for years to come, and the Mavericks already denied the Knicks permission to interview Kidd. Any chatter could've and should've ended there.

Instead, Kidd was able to parlay that interest into yet another extension. Honestly, credit to him. There were some rumors about how he didn't like being the only spokesperson for the team after the already infamous and disastrous Luka Doncic trade, so that was one more way to coax some more money out.