Brooklyn Nets Send Jason Kidd To Milwaukee Bucks For Draft Picks

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 30^th, 2014

Brad Penner- USA Today Sports

The Brooklyn Nets have started off the 2014 off-season with a lot of headlines that not many people were expecting, or that the origination would have wanted. Change is now on the way for the upcoming season, as Jason Kidd has been dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks for two second-round draft picks, and he will be becoming their new Head Coach.

After a successful rookie coaching campaign, over the past few days reports emerge that Kidd tried to make a power move in the front office, wanting more control over personnel decisions. The Nets brass would shoot this notion down quickly, and decided that keeping Kidd along with Billy King would be a no win situation, leading to the Nets allowing Kidd to talk with the Bucks for the job in Milwaukee, which pushed Larry Drew out immediately.

Some feel that Kidd may have felt disrespected with his contract, which he signed last season a four-year 10.5 million dollar deal. In comparison, Derek Fisher and Steve Kerr, both also rookie Head Coaches, received five-year 25 million dollar contracts.

The departure of Kidd may have some serious effects on the Nets roster, which is very up in the air to begin with. Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston who are both free agents have a good relationship with Kidd, and seeing him leave may lead them to look more closely about leaving as well. Kevin Garnett is expected to be back, but with Brooklyn’s recent mess in management and coaching, it could change his mind about returning.

Kidd has a good relationship with the Bucks new owner Marc Lasry, who was Kidd’s financial advisor for a while. Even though the Bucks are saying they are only bringing Kidd in as their new coach, it seems that Kidd will be given the power he desired with the Nets.

For the Nets moving forward now, King on top of an important free agency period will also be trying to find a new Head Coach to replace Kidd. A few big names are out there in Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, and Lionel Hollins, who will all probably be contacted about the position. All four have seen a lot of success in the NBA and would make sense, but with coaching decisions sometimes candidates emerge out of Left Field. A free agency period that was already going to be a frenzy for the Nets will now have the added juice of the franchise trying to find a coach to lead them back to the playoffs.