The NBA head coaching curve is skewing younger and younger, and this might be our latest proof of that much.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Monday, Bucks head coach Jason Kidd is finalizing a three-year extension with the team worth approximately $15 million.
Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd is finalizing a three-year, $15M-plus extension with the franchise, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 13, 2016
Kidd, 43, holds a career 118-128 record in three years as a head coach including two postseason appearances. While he stumbled and spilled his way around as a rookie coach with the Brooklyn Nets, he has improved mightily since ascending to the helm of Milwaukee, taking what was the worst team in the NBA at 15-67 the year before to a 41-win season in 2014-15.
The Bucks had a down year in 2015-16 though, going 33-49 thanks in large part to lead-footed newcomer Greg Monroe assassinating the team’s tempo and a virtually nonexistent second unit. But Kidd deserves the extension nevertheless having made huge waves as a player development guy (especially important given Milwaukee’s rock-solid foundation of young talent featuring the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jabari Parker) and as an emotional leader on the sideline (albeit, sometimes a bit too emotional).
Kidd has also apparently been serving as the de facto general manager of the team, a dynamic that appeared to have caused some friction at some point in the past between him and ownership. But this extension is a resounding vote of confidence from Bucks management that the 10-time All-Star is still their guy and rightfully so.
With Kidd set to unleash some goodies next season like starting Antetokounmpo at the point guard position, it’s safe to say that J-Kidd’s Wild Ride of Fun and Merrymaking is an all systems go in Milwaukee.
