3 next coaches due for an extension after Mavs signed Jason Kidd

After navigating the Dallas Mavericks out of the first round of the NBA playoffs for a second time in his first three seasons at the helm, the franchise has rewarded head coach Jason Kidd with a multi-year contract extension, per an official announcement from the team on Monday. 

Dallas did not reveal the details of the pact. However, the timing of the agreement is notable, especially considering the recent buzz surrounding Kidd as a potential replacement for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching gig after they relieved Darvin Ham of his duties only a few days ago.

Kidd has done a remarkable job coaching the Mavericks over the last three years, boasting a 140-106 regular-season record, including two 50-win campaigns and a Western Conference Finals trip in 2021-22. 

However, Kidd was not the only coach who has been instrumental in his team's success and needs a raise/extension, and his new deal paved the way for these three to be next in line.

3. Tyronn Lue, Los Angeles Clippers

Tyronn Lue has never experienced a losing campaign in seven full seasons as an NBA head coach, accumulating a 312-211 record in that span (excluding the year he was fired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 after an 0-6 start).

Lue started his head coaching career with a bang, posting no less than a .610 winning percentage and reaching the NBA Finals each of his first three years with the Cavs, including an improbable championship title in 2016 which saw them become the first team in league history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit.

Since then, Lue has taken the reigns of the Los Angeles Clippers, where he has fared well but has yet to reach the same postseason heights he did in Cleveland -- which is more a reflection on the injury woes of their star wing tandem of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George than it is of his efforts as the coach. Nonetheless, the franchise has finished above .500 in all four years he has been pulling the strings and reached the playoffs three times, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2020-21.

Like Kidd, Lue has strong ties to Lakers superstar LeBron James, which has led to speculation about him potentially leaving the Clippers to coach their hometown rival. But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has since reported that the team plans to sign him to an extension that "will allow him to avoid entering the final year of his deal in 2025-26."

All signs point toward Lue re-upping with the Clippers on a new contract sooner than later, deservedly so.

2. Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings

Mike Brown deserves all the praise in the world for what he's done with the Sacramento Kings in his first two seasons as the head coach, helping the franchise snap a 16-year playoff drought, which was not only the longest streak in NBA history but also the lengthiest postseason shortage across the four major American sports leagues at the time (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL).

Moreover, Brown has guided the Kings to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since they did it from 2004-06, including their two highest regular-season victory totals since then (48 in 2022-23 and 46 in 2023-24). Sacramento also secured its first divisional crown since 2002-03 in 2022-23, all but solidifying his NBA Coach of the Year honors that year.

In other words, Brown has revitalized a Sacramento franchise and fan base desperately in need of it, creating a fun brand of basketball that has been fun to watch while being catered to the strengths of the Kings' two star players -- De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

Brown has propelled the Kings to be one of the premier three-point shooting teams in the Association during his tenure, embracing the free-flowing, high-shooting volume style of play he witnessed on the sidelines as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors from 2016-22.

Entering the final guaranteed year of the four-year contract he signed in the 2022 offseason (mutual option for 2025-26), Brown is due for a big payday.

1. Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks

Aside from Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, perhaps no one has done more with less over the past four seasons than Tom Thibodeau during his tenure with the New York Knicks.

Thibodeau broke a seven-year Knicks playoff drought in his first year at the helm in 2020-21 by leading a young and underequipped New York roster led by first-time All-Star Julius Randle and a 20-year-old RJ Barrett to a 41-31 record, winning Coach of the Year for his efforts. 

Since then, all Thibodeau has done is lead the Knicks to two more playoff berths, recording at least 47 regular-season victories in the past two seasons and guiding the franchise to the 50-win mark for the first time since 2012-13 this year.

Moreover, Thibodeau was instrumental in New York landing one of the most impactful free agents in NBA history, Jalen Brunson. The two have known each other since the latter was a child, dating back to when the former hired his father, Rick Brunson, to be a part of his coaching staff for the Chicago Bulls in 2010.

What many have overlooked during the Thibodeau-Knicks era is that he has developed power forward Julius Randle into a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA caliber player, now on a similar trajectory with Brunson.

Thibodeau often gets criticized for giving his starters big minutes and heavy workloads that have led to his team's postseason demise. However, that hasn't been the case in New York -- a city that prides itself on hard work, courage, tenacity, and perseverance. Why, you may ask? The Knicks have built a roster filled with several well-conditioned athletes who match his gritty, no-nonsense approach, reflective of their hometown, and the fan base has embraced them for it.

Next season will be the final year of Thibodeau's current contract, meaning it is time to discuss a new deal that ensures he stays put in the Big Apple for the foreseeable future.