On Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks attempted to secure the future of their franchise by selecting Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. One would imagine that, for a team faced with so much chaos in the wake of the Luka Dončić trade, this was a moment of stability and a chance to move forward.
However, there could be another change coming in Dallas. Some buzz is building up about Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd potentially leaving Dallas for the New York Knicks in the wake of Tom Thibodeau’s dismissal. These rumors create uncertainty around Flagg’s Dallas situation, and he has weighed in on the subject.
Cooper Flagg Thinks Jason Kidd is “Excited”
Cooper Flagg was asked if Jason Kidd has given him any assurance that he’ll be his coach amid the speculation about him leaving for the #Knicks job:
“No, I haven’t had those conversations yet at all. But I think talking with Coach Kidd, my workout & even after I got picked, I…
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) June 26, 2025
After being drafted by the Mavericks, Flagg was immediately asked about the potential head coaching that could occur before he even takes the floor. It seems Flagg is not concerned about these rumors and spoke about this when asked if he was provided any assurances that Kidd was staying put.
“No, I haven’t had those conversations yet at all,” Flagg said. “But I think talking with Coach Kidd, my workout & even after I got picked, I was on the phone with him for a minute. I think he’s just excited. He has a good vision for me for what I can do & how I can impact the game. So I’m excited to just talk to him more.”
It’s an answer that we would expect from someone as media-trained as Flagg. Based on recent reports, he may be right to be confident that Kidd is staying put. The Knicks are currently interviewing various coaches for their vacancy, including Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins, and Micah Nori. They were previously denied permission to speak to Kidd and other current head coaches.
It is likely that starting in the 2025-26 season, Kidd will be coaching a big-three that includes Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving. While the door is never closed until the Knicks extend an offer to a coach and fill their vacancy, all signs point to Kidd being ready to start anew with the Mavericks and their potential superstar trio.
