The Los Angeles Lakers have an opening on the coaching staff after the Dallas Mavericks hired former assistant Jason Kidd to be their next head coach.
Kidd, who had previous head coaching stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, joined Frank Vogel’s staff in 2019.
Kidd’s name popped up in various coaching searches throughout the league, but he returns to the team that originally drafted him in 1994. He also won a championship with Dallas as a player in 2011.
With the departure official, Kidd thanked several prominent members of the Lakers for the “opportunity to grow as a coach” in a statement on Twitter:
Thank you @Lakers @JeanieBuss for the last two years and the opportunity to grow as a coach. Our championship season was unforgettable. Thrilled to return to the @dallasmavs organization and begin another chapter @mcuban! #MFFL pic.twitter.com/HN1FacKTzY
— Jason Kidd (@RealJasonKidd) June 28, 2021
Kidd also responded to LeBron James’ reaction to Kidd’s exit, via Kyle Goon of Southern California News Group:
Jason Kidd’s response to LeBron’s tweet the other day: pic.twitter.com/8GoVOLFmOo
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) June 28, 2021
Though Kidd is in Dallas, he might not be the only staff member from L.A. going to the Mavericks. According to a report, Kidd could ask members of the Lakers to join the staff he’s assembling.
It remains to be seen who Kidd has his eyes on, but with Vogel’s contract extension up in the air, poaching from his current staff is plausible.
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