Knicks Linked to Former NBA Champion Coach as Tom Thibodeau Replacement

New York has already reportedly reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves about interviewing Chris Finch, the Dallas Mavericks about Jason Kidd, the Houston Rockets about Ime Udoka, the Atlanta Hawks about Quin Snyder, and the Chicago Bulls about Billy Donovan.

All those teams have rejected the Knicks' requests to speak with their incumbent head coaches. 

"There are a lot of available coaches in the league," Stein said. "I could give you five: Mike Malone, [Mike] Budenholzer, [Taylor] Jenkins, Mike Brown, Frank Vogel is a consultant with the Mavs but is essentially a coaching free agent. And of those five guys, three have won championships. There's been very little talk about those five. All the focus has been on the names that the Knicks went after and were told 'no' [about]."

Malone spent the better part of 10 years with the Denver Nuggets, guiding the franchise to its first-ever championship just two seasons ago. He was fired with just days remaining in the 2024-25 regular season. Budenholzer won a title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, and has already been canned twice since then. 

Vogel guided the Los Angeles Lakers to their 17th championship in 2020. Jenkins served as the Memphis Grizzlies' head coach for most of the last six seasons, and was another late-year firing for a postseason-bound team.

Stein reports that Brown, however, could have a path to a role in New York.

"I do think there are some ties between Mike Brown and the Knicks. He did interview there in 2020 when Thibodeau got that job," Stein said. "He does have a relationship with Worldwide Wes, William Wesley, who of course has a huge voice in the Knicks front office. 

Wesley works as the Knicks' executive vice president and senior basketball advisor.

Brown, 55, has been a legendary assistant coach, having won four championships with the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in that capacity. He's also pretty accomplished as a head coach, having served in that capacity for several quality Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings teams.

All told, the two-time Coach of the Year boasts a 454-304 regular season record, and a 50-40 playoff record, including one Finals berth with an undermanned Cavaliers squad in 2007.