Mar 16, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Brendan O'Connor in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 129-114. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Knicks Next Coaching Target Revealed

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks have gotten knocked down but they've been quick to get up again.

That might as well be the unofficial theme of their ongoing formation of a new coaching staff headed by Mike Brown, which endured another twist on Saturday: per SNY's Ian Begley, the Knicks were rejected by former guard and current Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni in an attempt to land him on their own bench but have set their sights on longtime Los Angeles Clippers assistant Brendan O'Connor.

"O’Connor has strong defensive acumen, has worked for LAC under Ty Lue and Doc Rivers," Begley said in a Saturday X post. "[The Knicks] will presumably continue to look for an assistant to help on offense even if they add O’Connor to help guide the defense."

Amid interest from Knicks, MIN assistant Pablo Prigioni decided to stay with T Wolves, citing family reasons, league sources tell SNY. One coach squarely on NYK radar for an assistant job under Mike Brown? Clippers assistant coach Brendan O’Connor, league sources tell SNY.…
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 26, 2025

O'Connor has been on the Clippers bench since 2013, having previously earned a championship ring while working with Larry Brown and the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons. Brown also brought O'Connor aboard his extended Knicks staff when he briefly served as head coach during the 2005-06 season.

In that span, Los Angeles has the second-most regular season wins in the NBA behind only the Golden State Warriors. This time around, O'Connor took on a larger role in the Clippers' everyday operations after both Tyron Lue and associate head and former Knicks boss Jeff Van Gundy were forced to miss time.

As Begley alluded to, O'Connor has been lauded for his work on defense. Under his partial watch, Pistons big man Ben Wallace broke out as a two-way star, earning three of his four Defensive Player of the Year titles during O'Connor's Motor City tenure.

The next man to join the Knicks' staff is reportedly set to join a hodgepodge of former Mike Brown collaborators such as Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois while Rick Brunson, Maurice Cheeks, and Darren Erman have reportedly been brought in from predecessor Tom Thibodeau's final staff.

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

More must-reads: