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Knicks Insider Erases One Candidate From Head Coaching Vacancy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 11:28 PM ET

The New York Knicks made the shocking choice to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, days after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The decision was particularly surprising because Thibodeau seemed to have the full faith of his roster, especially superstar point guard Jalen Brunson.

On top of that, the Knicks had their best season since 2000, arguably even longer, and seem poised to be a longstanding contender in the Eastern Conference, in large part thanks to the culture Thibodeau instilled.

However, there are plenty of talented head coaches who are currently unemployed, and the Knicks might have their pick of the litter, save for one title-winning coach.

Between Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Budenholzer, Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown, Brett Brown, Monty Williams, and Michael Malone, there are plenty of proven coaches who either were recently dismissed from their own post or are assistants on another coach's staff.

Malone, the most recent of that group to win an NBA title, led the Denver Nuggets before being dismissed three games before the postseason, where the Nuggets took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.

He is the fan favorite to replace Thibodeau, although one Knicks insider isn't optimistic about their chances of adding him.

You can forget about Michael Malone as a replacement for Thibodeau. Not going to happen.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) June 3, 2025

Malone spent the postseason on the broadcast for ESPN and seemed to enjoy his time on television. As long as he is not a coach for another team, the Nuggets have to pay him the remainder of his contract, so he is still raking in cash and might enjoy a prolonged break before he returns to coaching.

The Knicks, who enjoy the benefits of playing in the NBA's largest media market, are expected to land a high-level skipper.

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

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