The Orlando Magic still have a head coaching vacancy, and another free agent coach could enter the mix for the job.
It has been nearly three weeks since the Orlando Magic let their 3-1 lead over the Detroit Pistons collapse after a Game 7 loss and the organization’s subsequent firing of coach Jamahl Mosley, and the vacancy from Mosley’s position still remains.
As Mosley has already moved on to his new destination in the form of a five-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Magic are still being attached to multiple candidates to take over, and more have been added to the list recently.
Perhaps President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman is playing his hand slowly and remaining patient, and perhaps it will benefit him. Heavy speculation began tying the Magic to Billy Donovan after Mosley’s firing, as he is a free agent after resigning from the Chicago Bulls. While Donovan remains the favorite among media circles, Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy and San Antonio Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney have come up as well.
Most recently, after a mutual dismissal from the Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd is a possibility, too.
Kidd’s tenure with the Mavericks came to a close after five seasons at the helm, with his pinnacle year coming in 2023-24 when Dallas won the Western Conference. However, he only finished with plus-.500 records in two of his five seasons, and the last two years were rather tumultuous after the organization’s surprising move to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving's ACL tear and a rebuild year around No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg.
Prior to his years in Dallas, Kidd was the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets, and he also spent two years as an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers. Overall, he has compiled a 388-395 record through 783 regular season games and a 31-33 record through 64 playoff games.
The Mavericks’ decision to move on from Kidd at a time when he had four years and over $40 million remaining on his contract
As a player, Kidd is much more decorated. He is a Hall of Fame guard, a 10-time All-Star and an NBA Champion among many other accolades. He has the experience the Magic could benefit from to take the next step as a young team because he has been to the mountain top as both a player and a coach.
After Weltman fired Mosley, he did not give a clear outline for what the Magic’s next coach will look like, which means that Kidd could have as good a chance as any other name associated with Orlando to land the job.
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