Tom Thibodeau extension extends Knicks championship window

Thibodeau, the two-time NBA coach of the year, has gone 175-143 in his first four seasons as Knicks head coach and has led the franchise to a 13-11 record and appearances in the Eastern Conference semifinals during the past two seasons.

In 2023-24, the Knicks won 50 games for the second time since the 2000-01 season. They followed their strong season with arguably an even better offseason.

New York acquired forward Mikal Bridges in a bombshell trade with Brooklyn to pair with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The team also re-signed forward OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million deal and Brunson to a team-friendly four-year, $156 million contract, $113 million less than the contract he was eligible for next year.

Last season, Brunson averaged a career-high 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game. He finished fifth in MVP voting and averaged 32.4 points in 13 postseason games.

As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted, the Knicks were one of four teams to finish in the top 10 in the league in offensive and defensive efficiency, joining the Thunder, Nuggets and NBA champion Celtics.

Thibodeau was entering the final season of a five-year contract he signed in July 2020. It was widely panned then, including by The Ringer, which wrote, "There's no joy in the Knicks' hiring of Tom Thibodeau."

There's a lot more joy in his contract extension. It keeps the good times rolling for the Knicks and should allow them to remain a title contender for the next four seasons.