The Knicks are attempting to get their process to find Tom Thibodeau’s successor as head coach rolling.
With the NBA Finals in full swing, Leon Rose hopes to find the kind of leader who can put the Knicks over the top after falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals this season against the Indiana Pacers.
Here is some of the latest rumblings involving New York’s search.
Chris Finch on radar
The Knicks are interested in Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, per Ian Begley of SNY.
Spending five years with the Western Conference club, Finch has led Minnesota to back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances. He has experience coaching Karl-Anthony Towns during his time with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Knicks last summer.
While Towns starred offensively, his defensive role was seen as a major issue in New York’s demise in the conference final against the Pacers. Finch created the NBA’s No. 1 defense last season in Minnesota with Towns in it.
Mavericks expected to say no to Jason Kidd interview
The Knicks have been interested in potentially speaking to Hall-of-Fame guard and current Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who has two years left on his contract after leading the Western Conference side to the NBA Finals last year.
The Mavericks are expected to block any interview request from the Knicks should it come, as they prepare to retool around the soon-to-be No. 1 pick at the NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg.
Kidd could have been used as a bargaining chip, of sorts, in the Knicks pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks’ superstar could be on the trade market this summer, and he has a close relationship with Kidd, who coached him for three years in Milwaukee from 2015 to 2018.
Rockets say no, too
The Knicks are not going to have the opportunity to speak with Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who is coming off a sterling second season with the team.
After he lost out on the Celtics’ head coaching job in 2023 for violating team policies, he led a sputtering franchise to a 52-30 record and its first playoff appearances since 2020.
Jay Wright not interested in coming out of retirement
Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright, who led each of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges during their collegiate days, has no interest in coming out of retirement to coach the Knicks, which crosses another prominent name off the prospective list.
Wright coached Villanova to two national championships and four Final Fours, which could have paved his way to an NBA job if he wanted it. There has never been much interest, however, and it’s something that his former protigees seem to respect.
“Man, thank you. Stay retired!” Hart wrote on X.
Wright and Rose are close friends, and it was clear from the jump that there was no chance in luring the 63-year-old out of the CBS studio and back to the bench.
