What happened: ESPN is in advanced negotiations to hire former Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd for its NBA programming. Marc Stein reported the development alongside the release of his Late Night NBA Intel column focusing on 2023 rookie scale extensions.

Why it matters: Kidd was dismissed by the Mavericks in May and now pivots to an analyst role. The move bolsters the broadcast team with recent strategic perspective from the bench.

What to watch: Front offices have two weeks remaining to secure extensions for the 2023 draft class discussed in Stein's report.