The Knicks have reportedly been denied permission to speak to five head coaches currently employed by NBA teams, but their search for Tom Thibodeau‘s replacement isn’t entirely focused on candidates who already have head coaching jobs. Former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and former Kings coach Mike Brown are also said to be on New York’s radar.
Sam Amick of The Athletic cited league sources who say there’s an “increased Knicks focus” on Jenkins and Brown, while Stefan Bondy of The New York Post‘s list of potential candidates (subscription required), based on intel he has gathered, includes a “top contenders” tier that consists solely of Jenkins and Brown.
Jenkins, who was the head coach in Memphis from 2019-25, compiled a 250-214 (.539) record during that time and led the club to three playoff appearances — ’24/25 would have been a fourth, but he was fired with nine games left in the regular season.
Although Jenkins’ career postseason record of 9-14 is underwhelming and the Grizzlies were disappointed by his results this season, it’s worth noting that his ouster didn’t exactly jump-start this year’s team. The Grizzlies finished the regular season by going 4-5 under Tuomas Iisalo, then were swept out of the first round by Oklahoma City.
Brown, meanwhile, was dismissed by the Kings midway through the 2024/25 season after guiding the team to a 107-88 (.549) mark across two-and-a-half seasons, with one playoff appearance and one play-in exit. Brown, who also previously coached the Cavaliers and Lakers, earned Coach of the Year honors in 2009 and 2023.
As Amick observes, Brown interviewed for the Knicks’ head coaching position in 2020 before Thibodeau was hired, and league sources tell The Athletic he left a “very strong impression” on the club.
Here’s more on the Knicks and their head coaching vacancy:
- After originally reporting that Michael Malone isn’t a candidate for the Knicks’ job, Bondy says it’s now not out of the question that the former Nuggets coach could get an interview. However, Malone remains a “long-shot” option, according to Bondy.
- Although the Mavericks declined the Knicks’ request to speak to Jason Kidd, Bondy agrees with Newsday’s Steve Popper, who said on Wednesday that Dallas’ denial doesn’t necessarily spell the end of New York’s pursuit of Kidd. As Bondy explains, Kidd is believed to be seeking a contract extension from the Mavs — if he doesn’t get that new deal and New York is willing to offer him a long-term contract, Kidd could make things uncomfortable for his current team. Still, Bondy acknowledges there’s probably only a “small” chance of the situation playing out that way. One league source he spoke to was adamant that the Mavs won’t let Kidd go.
- In a separate column for the Post, Bondy suggests Thibodeau’s dismissal was more about relationships than results and questions the statement put out by Leon Rose in which the Knicks’ president of basketball operations said the change was necessary because the team is “singularly focused on winning a championship.” No one in the organization, Bondy argues, was more “singularly focused on winning” than Thibodeau.