The New York Knicks’ head coaching search to replace Tom Thibodeau has already featured five high-profile rejections, with the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls all turning down requests to speak with their current head coaches. As the Knicks move along with their search, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reports an “increased focus” on Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins. Amick says the franchise expects to “finalize a list in the coming days.”
Both Brown and Jenkins were fired during the 2024-25 regular season. The Sacramento Kings canned Brown despite his Coach of the Year win in 2023, while the Memphis Grizzlies fired Jenkins right before the playoffs. Both coaches have strong resumes and would make some sense for a New York team trying to win a championship next season.
Amick labels Brown as an especially intriguing option based on the “complicated nature of the Knicks’ inner circle.” Knicks executive vice president William Wesley has a relationship with Brown going back to his Cleveland Cavaliers days as LeBron James’ coach. Brown also interviewed with New York in 2020 before the job went to Thibodeau and reportedly “left a very strong impression.”
Is Jason Kidd still an option for Knicks?
While the Knicks have been denied permission to speak with five current head coaches, the Jason Kidd pursuit had the most smoke around it. Even after Dallas rejected New York’s overtures, it quickly came out that the Knicks’ Kidd chase might not be over. Amick hints at that still being a possibility, but the Mavericks don’t appear to have any interest in letting him go anywhere. If anything, an extension is a possibility.
As this coaching search continues, the NBA world is wondering just what the plan is. It seems New York is casting as wide a net as possible, even for these coaches under contract. For what it’s worth, Amick says New York hasn’t asked about these five coaching stars: The Indiana Pacers’ Rick Carlisle, the Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Doc Rivers, the LA Clippers’ Ty Lue and the Los Angeles Lakers’ JJ Redick.
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