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It won't bring about a "bang!" from Mike Breen, but New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has hit a big three.
Gregg Popovich's step down from the on-court helm of the San Antonio Spurs places Thibodeau in an interesting position: having been hired in July 2020, Thibodeau is now the third-longest-tenured active head coach in his current posting. Only Erik Spoelstra (Miami, 2008) and Steve Kerr (Golden State, 2014) lie ahead of him.
Technically speaking, Thibodeau shares third place with Billy Donovan (Chicago), Tyronn Lue (LA Clippers), and Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City), but he was the first of those men hired chronologically.
While some might be wary about giving Thibodeau a chance to keep moving on up, the Knicks have undeniably taken steps forward under his watch: since taking over, Thibodeau has amassed 226 regular season wins at the helm of the Knicks, the eighth-most in the NBA in that span. Along with Boston's Joe Mazzulla, Thibodeau is one of two coaches to guide his team to at least one playoff win in each of the last three seasons.
Thibodeau's longevity is also unique among modern Knicks coaches: when this season tipped off, he became the first Knicks boss to make it to his fifth season since Jeff Van Gundy did so at the turn of the century. Earlier this spring, Thibodeau moved past Pat Riley on the Knicks' all-time coaching wins list, sitting behind only Van Gundy, Joe Lapchick, and Red Holzman.
If it's up to certain Knicks stars, Thibodeau's reign will continue no matter what happens in their upcoming conference semifinal set against Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics.
"I'll say, Individually, he's meant a lot to my career," Brunson said in video from SNY before this postseason tipped off. "There's a lot of players who can say they've definitely benefited from Tom Thibodeau in his career. But I think, as a team, we're always in a position where we compete in the postseason, since I've been here. He's a very prepared individual. He's done a lot for my career. So I'm always looking to support him. Always."
“He’s used to it, bullseye on his back for that," Josh Hart added on Friday,per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News."He’s had a bullseye on his back the whole season for minutes, rotations, all kinds of stuff. That’s our coach. We’re going to back him 100 percent.”
Thibodeau's de facto promotion on the longevity leaderboard comes as a result of Popovich stepping away from the Spurs' top spot after nearly three decades. Popovich amassed five championships, the first coming against the Knicks in 1999, and an NBA-record 1,422 regular season victories. Having been absent from the teams since November due to health issues, Popovich will be moving to a front office role within the organization.
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- Lakers insider updates LeBron James' immediate future
- The 'NBA playoff point-per-game leaders' quiz
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Celtics News: LeBron James Appears to Respond to Recent Jayson Tatum Diss
The Boston Celtics have had a whirlwind of a summer. The Celtics have made a ton of changes, as their roster will look completely different from last year. More news: Celtics’ Expected Plan for Last Roster Spot Revealed One of the biggest changes and most significant is Boston being without their superstar forward Jayson Tatum for most, if not all, the 2025-26 season. Tatum's absence is catastrophic, and the Celtics will do all they can to make sure they stay above water for at least the upcoming season. In the meantime, the Celtics superstar has been busy on social media while he is recovering from his torn Achilles. Most recently, Tatum took a shot at Lakers superstar LeBron James and his golf game. James has been posting a lot of himself getting into golf, and it appears that he has seen what Tatum said about him. The 40-year-old supertar responded to Tatum indirectly, posting a video showing off his improved golf swing, saying "Yes, sir! I'm getting there.” More news: NBA Insider Provides Unfortunate Update on Al Horford Free Agency The 40-year-old has been showing of his much-improved golf skills for the past month or so. James and Tatum have an extensive history on and off the court. They have a great relationship in both aspects, and they were most recently teammates last summer during the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA when they helped lead their country to a gold medal. The four-time MVP and the six-time All-Star have had some great battles over the years, and unfortunately, that will not happen this season or possibly ever again. Tatum will be sidelined for an extended period of time and James will likely enter the final NBA season of his career. The 21-time All-Star will soon enter his 23rd season of his career and his eighth in the purple and gold. As for Tatum, there is a chance he could play this upcoming season as he continues to progress well in his recovery. A recent report by Conor Ryan of Boston.com shared that an NBA scout shared that Tatum looks 'great' as his road to recovery continues. More news: Celtics’ $100 Million Guard Emerging as Major Trade Market ‘Wildcard’: Report For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade
Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.
Chargers, Cowboys Connected In Micah Parsons Trade Rumor
Micah Parsons officially requested a trade, and every single team in the league should have some interest in acquiring the superstar. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro, Parsons is one of the best players at one of the game’s premier positions and, now entering his age-26 season, should have several years of elite play left in his tank. Players like this usually earn record-setting contracts, and Jerry Jones does not seem willing to hand out that kind of money. With this in mind, Bleacher Report‘s Alex Kay proposed a trade where the Cowboys will trade Micah Parsons to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for two first-round picks, a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and running back Najee Harris. “Parsons, meanwhile, would help L.A.’s already impressive defense be even better, potentially for longer,” Kay writes. “While the Chargers still have a high-profile pass-rusher in Khalil Mack, he’s 34 and set to play on a one-year deal. With $32 million in cap space, the Chargers could afford to make Parsons their long-term defensive star.” Chargers, Cowboys Connected In Micah Parsons Trade Rumor Micah Parsons may have requested a trade, but as of this posting, the Cowboys do not seem interested in granting his wish. This is par for the course with Jerry Jones, as the owner has a long, detailed history of drawing out these types of negotiations. He did it with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and history could be repeating itself with Parsons. However, for the sake of argument, let’s assume the Cowboys eventually decide to trade Micah Parsons. If this happens, they should be happy with this type of return. The Khalil Mack trade is the closest comparison to Parsons, and the Raiders parted ways with him and a 2020 second-round pick for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick. This is roughly an equivalent value to what Kay offers in his article, so it’s easy to see Dallas pulling the trigger on this Micah Parsons trade. However, it would probably need to happen before the start of the regular season, as Najee Harris is a part of the deal. While he’s just a throw-in, the running back is currently playing on a one-year deal, and his value depreciates by the week. Would the Chargers Do This? Micah Parsons is a phenomenal player, but would the Chargers give up this much in a trade for one player? While we’ll never know for sure, the Chargers are the type of team that could make this risk. Head coach Jim Harbaugh brought this team to the playoffs last year, quarterback Justin Herbert is one of the game’s top talents, and the roster is loaded with talent. This team may be one piece away from a Super Bowl, and Parsons could take them to the next level. The Chargers have a strong team, but they need an influx of talent to overtake the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. A Micah Parsons trade could be the missing piece this team needs as they finally look to go on a deep playoff run for the first time since the Philip Rivers days.
Knee operation: Kirby Dach not yet back on his feet
Two years ago to the day, Canadiens fans were optimistic about Kirby Dach’s future in Montreal: the 6’4 forward had just collected 38 points in 58 games – in his first campaign in Quebec – and many wondered whether Dach had a better chance of establishing himself as a first NHL center than captain Nick Suzuki. The past 730 days have proven otherwise, but that’s not the point this morning. Since joining the Canadiens, Dach has earned a reputation as a fragile player. Virus, shoulder, upper body (concussion?), lower body, knee(ACL and MCL), knee again… Let’s just say that injuries haven’t spared Dach since he arrived in Montreal. In fact, injuries haven’t spared Dach since he started playing hockey. He has never played more than 70 games in a single season, and has only broken the 60-game barrier three times in nine junior or pro seasons. Last February, Dach underwent a second operation on his right knee in the space of 18 months. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes may tell us that Kirby Dach is fine,but we still have our doubts. Especially whenyou consider that, with the Canadiens’ recent additions and departures, Kirby Dach is still the team’s second center on the organizational chart. content-ads]Last week, I wondered where Kirby was ? We’ve seen plenty of Habs players skating at the CN Complex this summer, but not Kirby Dach. And I had to work like a monk to catch a glimpse of him in a video filmed at Nick Suzuki’s wedding! Yesterday, I was told that Kirby Dach was spending the summer in Edmonton with Kaiden Guhle – Dach is from Saskatchewan and Guhle is from Alberta – and that Dach was still in rehab. I repeat: five months after his most recent knee operation and some 40 days before the start of practice camp, Kirby Dach is still not recovered and ready to play. Good informants spotted him in an Edmonton gym doing squats with loads that look like the ones I used to take when I went to Econofitness, not the ones an NHL player uses [content-ads]This explains it: when he came to Montreal for his captain’s wedding, Kirby Dach couldn’t – or wouldn’t – skate with his teammates in Brossard. It’s worth noting that Dach is also very quiet on social networks – his last post was in November 2024 – probably in an effort to be forgotten… to go unnoticed. Spending the summer in Alberta, rather than in Montreal (with his chums at Osheaga), makes sense, when you think about it…Let’s just say that the chances of Dach starting his season at the same time as everyone else in two months’ time are pretty slim, which is cause for concern for those hoping to see the Canadiens in the playoffs in 2026. Yes, the Kirby Dach problem would be solved if a guy like Mason MacTavish-good offensively, defensively, physically and in the face-off circle-came to Montreal, but let’s just say that the odds of that happening this summer are very low. And you can’t make plans with very improbable things![spacer title=’Prolongation’]Matthew Tkachuk, who was injured last winter while throwing down the gloves at the 4 Nations tournament, underwent surgery last month (hernia and adductor). According to the latest information from Elliotte Friedman, Tkachuk could return to action just before the Olympic Games. Let’s hope Kirby Dach doesn’t have to wait as long as Tkachuk.
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