Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said Jason Kidd gave him no indication he was retiring during their exit interview Monday.
“We had a great meeting with Jason,’’ Grunwald said. “He was a big part of our success and we look forward to having him back next year.’’
Asked if Kidd, 40, hinted about having to reevaluate his future despite two years and $6.2 million left on his pact, Grunwald said, “Not yesterday. It sounded like he was coming back.’’
However, Mike Woodson piped in, “I thought he was [coming back] based on our conversation. But that could change, you never know.’’
Tyson Chandler, Kidd’s buddy, said Monday Kidd needed to have a fresh mind before thinking about his future. It’s unlikely Kidd would want to end his Hall-of-Fame career on a 10-game scoreless drought and two consecutive second-half benchings.
“It wasn’t his role to score,’’ Grunwald said. “He contributed in so many different ways, it’s hard to list. I don’t think that was a big factor in our struggles in the Indiana series. He probably would’ve liked to make a few of those shots, but he didn’t. That wasn’t the reason we lost.’’
Kidd is expected to spend much of the offseason in the Hamptons.