Whether or not Jason Kidd is headed to Milwaukee, he doesn’t appear to have a path back to Brooklyn.
According to multiple sources, regardless of whether or not Kidd eventually winds up in Milwaukee after his failed power play with the Nets — which was first reported by The Post — the way things have transpired make it extremely unlikely things could be patched up if he doesn’t wind up with a job with the Bucks.
The two teams have already discussed compensation the Nets would receive in return for letting Kidd out of the final three years of his contract to head to Milwaukee for what would likely be, in addition to potentially increased power, a significant pay raise. While the Clippers sent a first-round pick to Boston for the right to hire Doc Rivers last summer — and the Nets would like to secure one, sources said — the Bucks have so far been only willing to offer a second rounder for Kidd’s services, leaving the two sides at an impasse.
Assuming an agreement to bring Kidd to Milwaukee is completed, it’s still unclear what role Kidd would have there. The expectation was Kidd would be seeking the kind of power he sought with the Nets, but multiple reports indicated Sunday that Kidd has only spoken with Bucks ownership, with whom he met Friday in New York, according to a source, about the team’s head coaching job.
The Bucks currently have Larry Drew, coming off his first season with the Bucks, under contract as their head coach. Given the fact free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the expectation is this will be wrapped up one way or the other Monday, sources said.
It was Nets ownership that was initially convinced by Kidd and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, that the greatest player in the franchise’s NBA history was the perfect fit to lead them forward last summer by transitioning straight to coaching after Kidd retired from his 19-year Hall of Fame career, sources said. In fact, Nets chairman of the board Dmitry Razumov, spoke glowingly of Kidd at his jersey retirement ceremony last October at Barclays Center.
The organization then stood by him through a tumultuous first two months of the regular season — including a two-game suspension for pleading guilty to driving while ability impaired, purposely spilling a soda on the court late in a loss to the Lakers at home on Nov. 27 and earning a $50,000 fine, the decision to “re-assign” assistant coach Lawrence Frank shortly into the first year of a six-year contract after Kidd publicly lobbied him to join the Nets, and the team’s dismal 10-21 start.
It appeared faith in Kidd had paid off after things turned around once the calendar flipped to 2014. The Nets had the second-best record in the East after Jan. 1 and advanced past the Raptors before losing the Heat in the second round of the playoffs.
But that was before Kidd came to them recently with a series of demands, including to be given control of basketball operations and placed above general manager Billy King within the organizational hierarchy, according to sources. Once ownership turned down those demands, saying Kidd wasn’t ready for such a responsibility, that’s when Milwaukee — and Kidd’s friend Marc Lasry, who owned a small stake in the Nets before he and fellow New York investment banker Wes Edens bought the Bucks last month — entered the picture, requesting and being granted permission to speak with him.
Assuming Kidd agrees to join the Bucks, the focus for the Nets would then shift to who will become the team’s next head coach. Lionel Hollins and George Karl have both been reportedly targeted by the team, with an intriguing possibility being Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie, though he just signed a long-term extension to remain with his alma mater after leading them to a national title this spring.
It’s also unclear how the unexpected drama surrounding Kidd and the franchise will impact free agency. Schwartz represents two key free agents for the Nets — Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston — who they would like to retain.
Livingston, in particular, would make a lot of sense for the Bucks, who are in need of a point guard with Luke Ridnour becoming a free agent and could use Livingston’s locker room presence as they build around promising young forwards Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
They also have ample cap room to outbid the Nets, who are able to offer Livingston only a three-year deal for roughly $10 million using the “mini” mid-level exception.
In addition to how this could impact the Nets in free agency, it also could have an impact on the team’s Summer League entry in Orlando, as well. Speaking at the site of the team’s future practice facility in Brooklyn on Thursday morning, Kidd said that he was planning on being in Orlando this week for Summer League, and reiterated that Sean Sweeney would be coaching the team.
Sweeney was a fast riser this season under Kidd, and had been bumped up to an assistant coaching role with the team during this season. If Kidd does wind up in Milwaukee, Sweeney could potentially join him, which would likely mean someone else will run the Summer
League team next week.