The New York Knicks added more names to the list of coaches they aren’t allowed to interview this offseason on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at all the coaches the Knicks have tried to interview so far:
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Knicks requested to speak to Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder regarding their head coaching vacancy, but the request was “firmly denied” by Atlanta.
Hawks star guard Trae Young had a succinct response to this news:
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network and NBA Insider Marc Stein reported the Chicago Bulls also rejected an interview with Billy Donovan.
The Knicks are seemingly eyeing a well-established coach to replace Tom Thibodeau, but they haven’t had much success so far.
Along with the Hawks denying them the chance to interview Snyder, they were also barred from speaking to the Houston Rockets’ Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Chris Finch, per SNY’s Ian Begley. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday that New York requested permission to interview Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, but was once again denied.
But being denied permission to interview those coaches doesn’t necessarily rule them out as candidates. The aforementioned coaches could try to force their way out of their current positions, though that would be a risky move if a job in New York were not guaranteed.
Kidd is reportedly a favorite within the Knicks organization, but whether he’d be willing to leave Dallas is the question. Even if he shows interest in the job, he might do so with the hope of getting an extension from the Mavs. The Athletic’s Christian Clark and Sam Amick reported that the “widely held belief” is that Kidd “is hoping to parlay the Knicks’ interest into a lucrative contract extension.” Kidd, who has been in Dallas since 2021, has two years left on his current contract.
With the prospect of hiring Kidd, Udoka, Finch or another current head coach seeming like a stretch, the Knicks might have to pivot toward either a coach out of a job or an assistant.
As far as established coaches go, one option could be former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who won a championship two years ago but was fired at the end of the regular season. Malone got his start in the NBA as an assistant for the Knicks from 2001 to 2005.
Another choice could be veteran coach Mike Brown, a two-time Coach of the Year, whom the Sacramento Kings fired in December.
