Could Jason Kidd transition from Mavs coach to GM? Explore the potential upsides and significant challenges of giving him even more organizational control.
DALLAS - What if the next GM of the Dallas Mavericks is already sitting right there in front of them - literally?
Call it a "rumor'' at this point, but there is certainly NBA buzz that the permanent replacement for failed former general manager Nico Harrison - who will always be saddled with the blame for the ridiculous Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers a year ago - could be the team's head coach.
Kidd, 52, has certainly been there and done that, in every way, in the NBA. He's now an institution of sorts in Dallas, the Hall of Fame point guard - who as a player was blessed with a "basketball IQ'' that was virtually unmatched - having been a key figure in Dallas’ 2011 championship run.
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We know that Mavs leadership is presently in a state of flux; team owner Patrick Dumont (who may not know whether a basketball is blown up or stuffed) has a major voice ... and probably deserves way more of the blame for the Luka fiasco that he's been burdened with.
Mark Cuban is back as an influencer, with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley working together as "co-interim GM's'' ... or something like that.
But Kidd has the ear of all of them.
Would it be easier, more streamlined, to simply give Kidd even more authority?
There's a major downside to the concept, and it's not a particular slight of Kidd himself, who I've known since he was drafted by the Mavs way back in 1994.
Simply put, I'd argue that one guy doing both jobs means too much is on a guy's plate.
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In theory, Kidd - who has almost endless connections and relationships in the basketball world, another GM-like resume item - could move from the sideline to work in the front office only.
But that would mean Dallas would employ a "rookie GM'' and a new coach in 2026-27. And that might mean a lot of on-the-job training in an organization that needs to get this program turned back around quickly with rookie Cooper Flagg now the centerpiece of the post-Luka future.
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If this promotion is what Kidd wants? That's a factor here.
But given the fact that he's already got "assistant-GM-like'' power, why not keep him in his present role working alongside Riccardi or Finley or whoever going forward?
The Mavericks are keeping pretty quiet about all of this. But I'm not going to ignore the buzz. It's possible Dallas won't cast a wide net in its GM search because the next boss is already sitting right in front of them, and right in front of you, in that first chair on the Mavs bench.