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Knicks fail to pry Pelicans coach away for Mike Brown’s staff
Image credit: ClutchPoints

The New York Knicks recently hired Mike Brown to be the franchise’s next head coach, bringing to an end a bizarre saga that began when Tom Thibodeau was fired shortly after their season ended. Brown brings a plethora of experience to the Madison Square Garden sidelines, but that didn’t stop him from looking for the best assistants he could find to help round out the bench.

One of his targets was former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego, but recently, New York got some unfortunate news as it pertained to their quest to reel him in as an assistant.

“Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, a Knicks target for a lead spot on Mike Brown’s staff, will be staying in New Orleans, per league sources familiar with the matter,” reported Ian Begley of SNY on X, formerly Twitter.

Begley also reported that the “Knicks interviewed Borrego for their head coaching position and had interest in adding him to Brown’s staff. But he is highly valued by NOP and is currently under contract with (the) Pelicans. So he won’t be an option for Brown’s staff.”

A swing and miss for the Knicks

Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown calls for a foul during the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center. Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

While his head coaching stint with the Hornets didn’t necessarily go according to plan, James Borrego is still obviously a very highly thought of assistant coach in league circles, and it speaks volumes that the Knicks even considered him for their head coaching job, which is naturally one of the most heavily-scrutinized in professional sports.

While Borrego may not be taking his talents to the Big Apple, the Knicks do still have some assistant coaches on the staff from last year, including Rick Brunson, father of New York’s star point guard Jalen Brunson.

It remains to be seen what, if any, adjustments Mike Brown will make to the staff as the offseason continues. New York recently made some nice additions to their roster during free agency, including bringing in former Utah Jazz microwave scorer Jordan Clarkson to help shore up their bench problems.

With the NBA offseason now in full swing, Knicks fans can now look forward to watching their team participate in the summer league over the next couple of weeks.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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