Anew coaching candidate has emerged for the New York Knicks after interviewing top candidates Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins last week, James Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
According to the report, New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego is also being considered.
“Jenkins and Brown appear to be the front-runners as of now. However, New York has tossed around the idea of speaking with James Borrego for its vacancy, per league sources. Borrego, a CAA client, is known around the league for his offensive creativity and analytics-forward approach,” Edwards wrote.
Borrego previously interviewed for the Phoenix Suns coaching vacancy but did not make the final list. The Suns ultimately hired a first-time coach in former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott, a Michigan alum like the team’s owner Mat Ishbia.
Last year, he also interviewed for the Cavaliers coaching vacancy which went to Kenny Atkinson.
Borrego had a previous head coaching experience like Brown and Jenkins. The 47-year-old Borrego coached the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons. But he was fired after consecutive play-in losses in 2021 and 2022.
James Borrego’s NBA Coaching Journey
Borrego came from Gregg Popovich’s coaching tree. His NBA coaching career started in San Antonio. He was promoted to become one of Popovich’s assistant coaches after starting as an assistant video coordinator in 2003.
Borrego spent seven seasons with the Spurs before his stops in New Orleans and Orlando. It was with the Magic where he had his first coaching break when he took over from Jacque Vaughn in interim capacity in the middle of the 2014-15 season. The Magic finished the season 10-20 under Borrego. He returned to the Spurs after the season.
It was not until three years later when he finally got his first full-time head coaching job with the Hornets.
Great Offensive Mind
Borrego bridged the Kemba Walker-LaMelo Ball eras in Charlotte.
In his final three seasons with the Hornets, the team improved by 10 wins each year, culminating with a 43-39 season before he was let go just a year after he signed a contract extension.
The Hornets have never won more than 27 games in a season since they fired Borrego.
Borrego is known for his modern, fast-paced offense which emphasize on ball movement and spacing. The Hornets had the sixth-best offensive rating during his final season, per Cleaning The Glass. Borrego had the Hornets play with the sixth quickest pace with Ball as the lead guard.
It will be interesting to see how he can innovate a Knicks offense with Jalen Brunson, the exact opposite of Ball, as the lead guard if he gets to interview for the job.
Brunson, a calculated point guard thrives on deliberate basketball and bend the defense on the halfcourt with his craftiness and impeccable footwork.
Knicks’ Coaching Targets Get Extended
Two active NBA head coaches benefited from the Knicks’ coaching search.
Billy Donovan is in the process of getting his contract extended with the Chicago Bulls while the Houston Rockets made Ime Udoka one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.
The developments came after the Knicks formally requested to speak with them but were firmly denied by the Bulls and the Rockets, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jason Kidd, who was reported to be the Knicks’ top target, has yet to agree to an extension with the Dallas Mavericks, who also shut down the Knicks’ request.
