WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Jason Kidd, who won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks as a player in 2011, has agreed to a deal to coach the club, according to multiple media reports on Friday.
The Mavericks also hired long-time Nike executive Nico Harrison as general manager, according to The Athletic, ESPN, USA Today and other media, citing unnamed sources.
Kidd, who played on US Olympic gold medal squads in 2000 at Sydney and 2008 at Beijing, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, helping them to an NBA title in that role last year.
“Damn I hate to lose JKidd man but damn I’m happy for him at the same time! Good luck Kidd!” tweeted Lakers star LeBron James.
The Hall of Fame point guard, taken second overall by Dallas in the 2004 NBA Draft, was a 10-time NBA All-Star in his 19 league seasons with the Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks.
Kidd averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.9 steals a game over 1,391 league contests and ranks second on the NBA all-time assists list with 12,091.
Harrison, who spent two decades with Nike, reportedly has a strong relationship with Dallas star Luka Doncic, a two-time NBA All-Star guard from Slovenia.
The moves would give the Mavericks new leadership in key roles, replacing coach Rick Carlisle, who departed as coach last week and signed this week with Indiana, and Donnie Nelson.
The Mavericks also recently hired former Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki as an advisor to owner Mark Cuban.
Kidd, 48, retired in June 2013 and within days was named coach of the Brooklyn Nets, but he only spent one season guiding the club, reportedly departing for Milwaukee after a failed bid to direct all Nets basketball operations as well as coach.
Kidd went 139-152 in just over three seasons with the Bucks before being fired in the 2017-18 campaign after a 23-22 start. Milwaukee lost twice in the first round of the playoffs in his tenure, but oversaw the development of Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo in his first three seasons in the NBA.
© Agence France-Presse