Lupica: Coaching job was Jeff Schwartz's idea "at the start", not Jason Kidd's

In an article on Jay-Z's potential as an agent, Mike Lupica writes that "at the start" it was agent Jeff Schwartz's idea to match Jason Kidd with the Nets.

Jeff Schwartz, Jason Kidd’s rep, just did one of the best pure agenting jobs in recent memory helping Kidd get the Nets’ coaching job less than two weeks after he retired as a player with the Knicks.

Schwartz started working on Kidd even before Kidd made the retirement announcement, promoted him into a meeting with Billy King, the Nets’ general manager, and you know how it all played out — and fast — after that.

It wasn’t Kidd’s idea at the start, it was clearly Schwartz’s. That is how you do it.

Indeed, the Nets were not completely enamored of the coaching candidates, with some insiders seeing the cast as either re-treads or guys who hadn't been able to secure a top job. So, when Schwartz approached the Nets, there was some excitement, although Billy King admits that initially he was "resistant" to the idea. Ownership, he said, encouraged him to talk with Kidd.

Schwartz, of course, has been critical to the Nets success of late. He currently reps Kidd, Deron Williams, Tyshawn Taylor and Mirza Teletovic. C.J. Watson and Jerry Stackhouse are also his clients. The Nets credit Schwartz with helping them re-sign D-Will, although the connection wasn't enough to get another client, Kyle Korver, to accept 60 percent less money than the Hawks offered him.

• Jay-Z looks ready to conquer the sports world with Roc Nation Agency - Mike Lupica - New York Daily News