Two future draft picks are making for a major change in course this week – yesterday the Bucks traded two second-round picks in years to come for Jason Kidd, the coach of the Brooklyn Nets until, well, until yesterday.
Kidd coached the Nets for only one season and compiled a record of 44 wins and 38 losses.
The team gave him permission to talk with other NBA clubs, after he unsuccessfully sought control of the Nets' Basketball Operations Department.
The Bucks released Coach Larry Drew on Monday. During his only season leading the team, finishing with a record of 15 wins and 67 losses.
Milwaukee's new co-owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens released a statement about Kidd's hiring, praising him as 'a determined leader and tough-minded competitor.' The two new team owners bought the Bucks from Herb Kohl, earlier this year.
The new head coach of your Milwaukee Bucks, Jason Kidd! pic.twitter.com/foy7VhoKvx
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 1, 2014
Lake Effect's sports contributor Howie Magner is less enthusiastic of the move by the Bucks. He spoke to Mitch Teich on how this move looks to both the public and the team officials who have been kept out of the loop.
"I have to believe that they have lost a certain amount of trust within certain segments of the community with this move," says Magner. "Because there are several shady aspects to it, and when you’re doing something shady, that doesn’t really engender a whole lot of trust."
Despite the sudden change of leadership, Magner does not dispute that it is within the new owners' rights to decide who leads the Bucks.
"Say what you want about how they did it, but it certainly is a bold move. They've gone out and gotten a pretty high-profile guy...I think it's certainly possible that Kidd could be a very good coach for the Bucks, and he could mold the young talent that they have there in that organization into a winning team. But the way he's coming on board certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouth of many people who are observing the Bucks these days."
