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Knicks Head Coach Target Makes Major Move During Offseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 1:39 PM ET

As the NBA enters the offseason there is only one team remaining that is still amid a search for their next head coach.

That team in the New York Knicks as they continue to search for a replacement for Tom Thibodeau.

Of course, the Knicks made the shocking decision to fire Thibodeau just three days after their playoff exit.

This was a surprising move from the storied franchise as Thibodeau helped lead the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 and also led them to back-to-back 50-win seasons since the 1990s.

Despite this, they felt that it was time for a change on the sidelines and they now have a crucial decision to make regarding the next head coach of the franchise.

It has been reported that New York tried to interview many head coaches around the NBA, including Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, but they were turned down by every team.

Another team that shut down the Knicks was the Houston Rockets as they denied New York’s request to interview head coach Ime Udoka.

One Thursday, the Rockets and Udoka made a massive move as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Udoka has agreed to a long-term contract extension that will make him one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a long-term contract extension with the franchise that makes him one of the highest paid NBA coaches, after a 52-win season and top-2 seed for the first time in seven years, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/fah9NMuWyj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 19, 2025

This is a massive move by the Rockets and Udoka and one that is well deserved after he helped Houston win 52 games and finish second in the Western Conference.

With this news coming out on Thursday, it is now clear why the Rockets were unwilling to allow the Knicks to interview Udoka for their head coaching job as he will now be in Houston for the foreseeable future.

Because of this, the Knicks now have to shift their search to other targets as they try to find the next head coach of their franchise sooner rather than later with the offseason underway.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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