The Dallas Mavericks are the latest team to decline the New York Knicks in their search for the next head coach. Previously, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets rejected the Knicks’ offer to talk to their head coach. When everyone believed that Jason Kidd might become the next head coach in New York, Dallas rejected the offer. Now, the Knicks might have to turn to available people in search of coaching options. The three previous options were all employed coaches. But who is left out there?
Mavericks’ Rejection Leaves Knicks With Limited Coaching Options
There were rumors even after the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau that they might look for a coach who is already working for a different team. But it seems like that strategy failed, and the Knicks will now have to look at some other options. Early in the process of looking at coaching options, the Knicks got bad news from Jay Wright, the retired Villanova coach. He instantly expressed no desire to come back and coach in the NBA.
That doesn’t mean that the Knicks do not have winning options out there. Michael Malone, Taylor Jenkins, and Mark Jackson are all unemployed but great coaches. Stephen A. Smith, one of the biggest Knicks fans, lobbied for Jackson to get the job. He said,
“I’m gonna always mention Mark Jackson because he’s been away from the game for a decade as a coach. This man was responsible for building Golden State before Steve Kerr was brought in and took over and piggybacked off of that and ascended to four championships, no doubt.”
Jackson is a New York native who played for the Knicks for seven seasons. He began his professional career playing for the Knicks in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Malone is a championship coach who is also a New York native, and he helped guide the Denver Nuggets to their first championship in 2023.
The Knicks can also go for a creative option and hire an assistant coach. Two names that are high-IQ former players and great assistant coaches are Sam Cassell from the Celtics and Chris Quinn from the Heat. Last, but not least, Johnie Bryant, the former assistant for the Knicks, is ready to take the next step. Notably, Bryant was a finalist for the Suns’ job.
The Challenge for the Knicks’ Next Coach
No matter who the New York Knicks hire to be their next head coach, he will be under immense pressure right away. Thibs took the franchise to a spot they haven’t been in 25 years. And they fired him despite that. So, the next coach has to do at least an equal job, or better, to be considered a success.
That is the challenge that prospective candidates will surely weigh in on. If the Knicks lose in the first or second round for the next few years, how can the team justify keeping that coach? Yes, Thibodeau needed a few years to get to the Conference Finals, but he was fired after that. In any case, it will be an interesting summer for the Knicks as they look to improve their roster and championship odds.
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