May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during a timeout against the Philadelphia 76ers in game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Former Sixers Coach Lands on Knicks’ Radar to Replace Tom Thibodeau

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 8:29 AM ET

Being in one of the most prominent NBA markets, the New York Knicks are unsurprisingly setting high expectations for their head coaching search after calling it quits with Tom Thibodeau.

According to Marc Stein, former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka has popped up as a candidate who is of “interest” to the Knicks.

Currently, Udoka serves as the head coach of the Houston Rockets. He just wrapped up his second season with the Rockets, which resulted in a 52-30 record. Although the Rockets went into the playoffs as the second seed, they ended up coming up short in the first round.

Regarding reports identifying Ime Udoka as a possible target for the vacant Knicks coaching position, HOU has no interest in entertaining that, a team source told @TheAthletic. Both parties are committed to the longterm project and are actively preparing for a busy offseason.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 4, 2025

Is Houston’s inexperience enough to help the Knicks lure Udoka out of the Western Conference? So far, there hasn’t been any indication that Udoka is willing to make his way back to the Atlantic Conference. Still, as the Knicks are early in the process of finding a new head coach, they seem to be going for an unrealistic set of targets, which includes Jason Kidd, Udoka, and the retired Jay Wright.

Udoka, a former player-turned-coach, is a product of the Gregg Popovich tree out in San Antonio. After coaching with the Spurs from 2012 to 2019, Udoka joined the 76ers in Philadelphia. He was a top assistant with Brett Brown.

After one season with the Sixers, Udoka parted ways with the organization, joining the Brooklyn Nets for one season. Udoka spent one season under Steve Nash before getting hired by the Boston Celtics as the head coach. A violation of team policies in 2022 led Udoka to face a year-long suspension. After the Celtics thrived under Joe Mazzulla, Udoka was free to join the Rockets as their next head coach.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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