NBA Rumors: LA Lakers’ Jason Kidd Reportedly Interested In Philadelphia 76ers Coaching Job

Less than one week after the organization elected to move on from head coach Brett Brown, the Philadelphia 76ers seemingly have a wide choice of candidates to potentially replace him. According to a report on Friday, one of those candidates — Los Angeles Lakers assistant and Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd — has shown interest in making the move to Philly.

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey, Kidd “wants the job.” Additionally, he reported that Houston Rockets player development guru John Lucas, who last served as a head coach in the league almost two decades ago, is interested in a return to the 76ers — a team he coached for two seasons in the mid-1990s.

Although Kidd’s status as one of the greatest floor generals in basketball history is not in question, the time he spent as a member of the NBA’s head coaching ranks has not been as statistically impressive.

During his lone season with the Brooklyn Nets — his first year at the helm of one of the league’s teams — he led the squad to a 44-38 record and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals. He was twice named the conference’s Coach of the Month that season as a result of his efforts.

However, as reported by ESPN and other outlets at the time, he later sought control of the team’s basketball operations and, upon being denied, decided to look elsewhere for a new job. At that point, he spoke with the Milwaukee Bucks about joining the franchise, even as the club still employed Larry Drew as coach.

In the end, he was part of a rare type of trade, getting dealt to the Bucks — who had fired Drew — in exchange for two second-round picks.

During his first year in Milwaukee, his team put up a surprising performance in the East, compiling a record of 41-41 and earning a playoff nod after having won just 15 games the previous year. However, the club underperformed in subsequent campaigns and since Kidd was fired in 2018, it has improved substantially, becoming a legitimate NBA title contender.

Nevertheless, Kidd has seemingly repaired his image over the course of his year on Frank Vogel’s staff with the Lakers and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for a number of coaching jobs, including the one in Philadelphia.

In any case, Kidd faces stiff competition for the post. Per Pompey, Los Angeles Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue — who directed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a championship in 2016 — is the leading candidate to land the gig in with the Sixers.