Sources: Knicks interested in speaking with Kidd

The New York Knicks are conducting active due diligence on Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd among other head coaching candidates in their search to replace Tom Thibodeau, sources told ESPN.

The Knicks have yet to request permission to speak to Kidd, who has two years remaining on the contract extension he signed during the Mavs' 2024 run to the NBA Finals, sources said.

Dallas general manager Nico Harrison and governor Patrick Dumont have not yet discussed whether the franchise would be willing to grant permission for Kidd to speak to the Knicks, sources said.

The teams theoretically could work out a trade that would allow the Knicks to hire Kidd. However, New York depleted its future draft assets by sending five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in last summer's trade for forward Mikal Bridges.

New York has a top-eight-protected 2026 pick from the Washington Wizards and eight second-round picks, including No. 50 in June's draft. The Knicks can also offer first-round swap rights in 2026, 2030, 2031 and 2032.

Kidd was part of the group that interviewed for the Knicks job in 2020 before it went to Thibodeau.

The Knicks opted to move on from Thibodeau, the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history and by far their most successful one this century, after New York got eliminated by the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Thibodeau led the Knicks to back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since the mid-1990s, and he oversaw the club's stunning second-round victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics. But he also leaned heavily on a starting five that produced diminishing returns over the second half of the regular season and was thoroughly outscored throughout the playoffs. His .579 winning percentage in the regular season is the highest in league history (minimum 300 games) among those who've never reached the NBA Finals, according to ESPN Research.

Kidd, who finished his Hall of Fame playing career with the Knicks in 2013, served as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks before signing on to lead the Mavericks. Dallas has logged a 54.6% win percentage (179-149) in Kidd's four seasons at the helm.

Kidd led the Mavericks to the Finals a year ago, but Dallas has since traded superstar Luka Doncic -- a move that Harrison, the Mavs executive, acknowledged he didn't run by Kidd before making the February blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

ESPN's Chris Herring contributed to this report.