Jan 25, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego talks to his players during a pause in play in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Knicks Might Add Another Coaching Candidate

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 2:52 PM ET

The month that the New York Knicks have spent attempting to fill their head coaching vacancy opened up plenty of questions not only pertaining to who they planned on following up Tom Thibodeau, but who'd surround him on the bench.

A head coach and the team they represent usually come together in picking the crew of assistant coaches who're set to help the main man prepare the team throughout the season, and that long search for a full-time replacement left a lot of people in limbo.

The team finally settled on Mike Brown on Wednesday in giving the 2x Coach of the Year winner another chance at leading a ship, and just like the Knicks had done last night in announcing that they planned on keeping assistant coach Rick Brunson around, more reporting about the 2025-26 bench crew came out about who New York looks to be prioritizing on Brown's staff.

Marc Stein, having already gotten the scoop on Brown securing the crucial second interview with the Knicks before being offered the job, also confirmed that James Borrego, an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans, is a top candidate to take on a similar job in New York.

League sources tell @JakeLFischer and me, as covered in the story below, that the Knicks have interest in hiring James Borrego as Mike Brown’s top assistant … but sources tell me New Orleans’ preference is that Borrego stays as Willie Green’s top assistant. https://t.co/6PGanvyvOW
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2025

It's important to note that Borrego, much like many of the coaches the Knicks already tried to court, isn't a free agent. He's still on Willie Green's bench in New Orleans, where he's been for two years, making it unlikely that his incumbent team will let him walk.

The Knicks' interest in the former Charlotte Hornets head coach is no longer a secret, as they brought Borrego in for an interview last week in parsing through names. He's a well-regarded coach who's spent the last few years as a commonly-mentioned name in several coaching searches, and though he missed out on getting the top job in New York, he's someone they're keenly interested in adding to the 2025-26 team.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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