The New York Knicks aren’t having much luck in their search for a new head coach.
Part of the problem is that the organization appears interested only in coaches currently employed by other NBA teams. Those franchises must grant the Knicks access to interview those coaches, which to this point has been a non-starter for multiple teams.
It is unclear whether New York ever actually submitted an official request to the Dallas Mavericks for the opportunity to interview Jason Kidd, the Knicks’ apparent No. 1 option for the job. However, insider Marc Stein wrote recently that the Mavericks were likely to reject any such request from New York, if they haven’t formally done so already.
The Knicks got more bad news in that regard on Tuesday, June 10, when multiple insiders reported that two other franchises shut down New York’s attempts to speak with their head coaches about an employment change.
“Knicks formally reached out to Rockets for permission to talk to head coach Ime Udoka and [Houston] Rockets denied permission, per people familiar with Rockets’ stance,” Ian Begley of SNYtv reported via his X account. “[Mike Francesa] said Knicks reached out to Minnesota and were denied permission to talk to Chris Finch. The Athletic’s [Kelly Iko] reported last week that Rockets had no interest in entertaining any Udoka-to-NY scenario.”
Knicks Likely to Make Monster Offer to Next Head Coach
GettyDallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon of ESPN speculated over the weekend on an episode of the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast that given the positions of coaches like Kidd in Dallas and Finch in Minnesota, it would likely take a massive offer from New York to land either one of them.
McMahon tossed out the number of “at least” $12 million annually. The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after five seasons at the helm on the heels of the team’s first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in more than 25 years. New York did so with a bill of at least $30 million remaining on Thibodeau’s extension, per multiple reports.
Coaching in the country’s top market, and likely at one of the higher salaries in the league, does potentially render the Knicks a threat to poach a top coach from around the NBA.
No Clear Favorite for Knicks’ Head Coaching Job After Recent Interview Refusals
Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright, who led that school to two national titles with several players currently on the Knicks’ roster (Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart) has been mentioned in several conversations, though he isn’t interested in the jump to the NBA at this point.
Ex-Denver Nuggets coach, former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Michael Malone has also been in the mix for the Knicks’ opening, though his coaching style and personality are relatively similar to Thibodeau, which could result in something of a lateral move in New York.
Needless to say, the decision is paramount for a Knicks team playing in a wide open Eastern Conference next season, as the Boston Celtics will likely face a tumultuous year full of turnover and underlined by Jayson Tatum’s recent Achilles injury.
