Mark Jackson To Coach The Kings? Hey, He's a Finalist

Every year there are NBA coaching openings, and every year you will hear Mark Jackson's name linked to them.

This is a man who has a good agent.

Anyway, that's the case again this year, as Jackson is one of three finalists for the Sacramento Kings' vacancy, as relayed by Hoops Wire.

Along with Jackson, former Cavaliers and Lakers coach Mike Brown and former Magic and Hornets coach Steve Clifford are also in the mix. Four candidates -- Mike D'Antoni, Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy and Milwaukee Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee -- have been told they aren't in the running anymore.

Brown, by the way, is currently an assistant under Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors. Both Jackson and Brown are also said to be candidates with the Los Angeles Lakers, undoubtedly a more high-profile job than that of the Kings.

Anyway, back to Jackson specifically. Most people know him from ESPN and ABC, where he serves as the top in-game analyst alongside play-by-play man Mike Breen and fellow analyst Jeff Van Gundy (another constant coaching candidate).

Jackson last coached in the NBA in 2014 with the Warriors, before Kerr took them to the next level and turned them into sort of a mini-dynasty. Meanwhile, the Kings haven't made the playoffs since the prior to the release of the iPhone (2006).

So why he would want to leave the broadcast booth for that particular job is anyone's guess. As one NBA source told Hoops Wire, taking the Kings job is one sure way to ruin your reputation as a coach.

For Jackson, it could be one way to push the Lakers into hiring him, or offering him the job at a higher pay rate than the Kings would pay him. In that sense, Jackson may not be looking to coach the Kings as much as he is looking for a king's ransom elsewhere.

Follow Sam Amico @AmicoHoops