Latest news with #TomThibodeau
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks' patient process to replace Tom Thibodeau shouldn't confuse fans
The post Knicks' patient process to replace Tom Thibodeau shouldn't confuse fans appeared first on ClutchPoints. This week's NBA rumor mill heavily features the Knicks. After firing head coach Tom Thibodeau, the franchise's search for a replacement has left even reporters wondering what the process is. Advertisement Team president Leon Rose said after firing Thibodeau that the team is 'singularly focused on winning.' A focus that led them to fire their coach. But almost a full week later, there is no new head coach in place. The NBA landscape still has questions. Why did the team move on? How did that 'singular focus' inspire firing a coach that led the team to its first Conference Finals in 25 years? Simply put, the organization believes that a different coach gives them a greater chance of success. Going into this past season, despite the blockbuster moves for big-name stars, the Knicks did not seem to believe that their 'championship window' was open just yet. Moving on from Thibodeau after a Conference Finals appearance signals that they now see that window as being open. Not having an immediate successor in place within two weeks of the season ending isn't an issue. It's an indication that the franchise felt that 100 regular-season and playoff games were enough of a sample size to influence this decision. And that searching for a new coach while the team was actively competing in the Eastern Conference Finals would likely not have gone well. The Knicks are taking a 'no stone unturned' approach to finding next coach Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Knicks' front office is unique. Leon Rose and company turned around the franchise in five years without ever tanking. It took everything from trading for Australian coaches to loopholes in the new CBA to construct the team's roster. Advertisement The process, while unorthodox, boils down to the team having things it would like to accomplish in mind. And, then, trying to find a way to do them. It may not work. Statistically, it probably won't work. But, in reality, there's only one surefire way for a team to find out if something is possible. It's to try it. It was first reported last Wednesday that the Knicks have an interest in Chris Finch. The Athletic's Jon Krawcynzski reported two days later that he'd be 'surprised if anything came of it.' But if the organization most covets Finch, why shouldn't they find out the hard way? If the Knicks compiled a list of top candidates regardless of feasibility, wouldn't most already coach at the highest level? The team is justified in finding out whether or not it's possible to bring those candidates to New York. After it was initially reported that the Knicks had interest in Jason Kidd, Marc Stein reported that his sources believe the Mavericks will refuse to grant the Knicks permission to meet with him. Advertisement Brian Windhorst later reported that there's mutual interest between Kidd and the Knicks. The extent to which the Mavericks and Knicks are negotiating through the media is unknown. But there's a saying about noticing lots of smoke somewhere and what might be causing it. The Knicks have more candidates to sift through if nothing works out with those at the top. Sources familiar with the situation tell ClutchPoints that the coaching search will include coaches at the collegiate level. New York can't say it conducted a full and comprehensive search without actually doing the searching. The team needs to fully and comprehensively explore all of its potential options to later claim that the process was comprehensive. Once they have made a hire, how else would they truly know that they did the best they could? Related: Stephen A. Smith campaigns for Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr 'piggyback' claim Related: Stephen A. Smith lists Knicks as best trade options for Kevin Durant, Giannis
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grading New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft
Grading New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been an interesting offseason thus far for the New York Knicks after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 last season. Advertisement Of course, the Knicks started off their summer by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and they are the only team still looking for a new head coach for next season. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images While the Knicks continue their coaching search, they entered the 2025 NBA Draft looking to add another young player to their roster though they only held one pick in the draft. New York held the 50th pick in the 2025 draft but they sent that to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the 51st pick and cash considerations. With the 51st selection, the Knicks drafted French forward Mohamed Diawara to upgrade their frontcourt depth. This selection was a surprising one by New York as many believed that Diawara would likely be an undrafted free agent as he had not quite converted his game to the LNB Elite league in France. Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft Grade: D Because of this, the Knicks earned a D grade for their 2025 draft as they reached on Diawara, though he does have the physical tools to eventually develop into a solid NBA player in New York. Advertisement Last season in the LNB Elite league in France, the 20-year-old forward averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.0% from three-point range. This was an improvement from his prior seasons in France and if the Knicks can continue to help him develop, he could become a solid role player for them off the bench. Diawara is a solid scorer, though he does need to improve on his shooting percentages and his 6-8 frame should help him on the defensive side of the ball. While it may have been a reach for the Knicks, they hope that Diawara can continue his development and become a key piece to their roster in the future. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Knicks' Deuce McBride unfazed by team's prolonged coaching search following Tom Thibodeau's firing
Print Close By Ryan Morik Published June 24, 2025 The New York Knicks have found themselves in a coaching conundrum. After making it the furthest they have been in the 21st century (Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals), they decided that five seasons was enough for head coach Tom Thibodeau. However, the Knicks are still searching for their next man on the bench, and it took quite a while for them to even get their first formal interview. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON They have reportedly made requests for several candidates, including Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, but to no avail. It is certainly a confusing time for the Knicks, but guard Deuce McBride is not stressing just yet. "We're staying positive. It's all good. We're gonna make it work," McBride, who joked that the decision is "above my paygrade," told Fox News Digital at Fanatics Fest in New York. Fanatics Fest occurred roughly a mile away from where McBride plays his home games - Madison Square Garden and Javits Center are both right on 34th Street in Manhattan. PACERS' TYRESE HALIBURTON GETS CANDID ON DEVASTATING INJURY: 'THE FRUSTRATION IS UNFATHOMABLE' Although A-listers like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Derek Jeter and John Cena had huge followings, McBride's was practically no different, being right in his city. "The love I'm getting, it's a special place. Playing in New York, there's nothing like it," McBride added. The Knicks let go of Thibodeau before his $30 million extension even kicked in. It was not that long ago that the Knicks were considered a laughingstock in the league. They missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years before Thibodeau's hiring and won 17 games in 2018-19. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP However, under Thibodeau's leadership, they made the playoffs in each of the last three years, the first time they had done so since 2010-2013. They also made the playoffs in four out of his five seasons, a feat not accomplished since the late 90s. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Print Close URL
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau despite run to Eastern Conference finals
The New York Knicks have fired coach Tom Thibodeau days after their loss in the Eastern Conference finals. 'Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,' team president Leon Rose said in a statement on Tuesday. The Knicks' last title came in 1973. 'This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction. Advertisement 'We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.' The Knicks beat the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, during their run to the Conference finals but fell short of the NBA finals after a 4-2 series loss to the Indiana Pacers. Thibodeau's in-game decisions were questioned by some during the series, but the conference finals run was the team's first since 2000. Related: The New York Knicks' season is over, but a divisive inquest has only just begun The 67-year-old had previously been head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. He had been Knicks coach since 2020, and had led them to the postseason in four of his five seasons in New York. Advertisement Many may see it as a strange decision by the Knicks, who had been one of the league's worst franchises for most of the 2000s until Thibodeau was hired. He promptly led the Knicks to the playoffs in his first season, winning his second NBA Coach of the Year award, and they have been a solid contender in the East in recent seasons. After they were eliminated on Saturday, captain Jalen Brunson expressed his support for Thibodeau, bristling at a question about whether he believed the coach was right for the team. 'Is that a real question right now?' Brunson said. 'You just asked me if I believe that he's the right guy. Yes. Come on.' Three days later, Thibodeau was gone with a 226-174 record in New York. He has the fourth-most wins by a Knicks coach. Advertisement Thibodeau faced criticisms that his hard-driving style and overreliance on his starters wore down his players, the same ones that have followed him since the beginning of his head coaching career in Chicago. But his ways seemed to be working in New York. The Knicks hadn't won a playoff series since 2013 but now have done so in three straight seasons. They went 50-32 in 2023-24 and followed that with a 51-31 record this season.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jason Kidd Leaving Mavericks for Knicks Reportedly Not Ruled Out Yet
Jason Kidd Leaving Mavericks for Knicks Reportedly Not Ruled Out Yet originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks are looking for a new head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau despite making the conference finals this year for the first time since 2000. Advertisement The Knicks have been denied permission to speak with Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan. Despite getting rejected by the Mavericks, though, it appears the Knicks aren't giving up on Kidd. According to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network, New York could circle back to Kidd, who played for the Knicks in 2012-13. Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN are also reporting that there's some belief that things could change in the cases of Kidd in Dallas and Donovan in Chicago. Jason Kidd leaving Dallas for New York hasn't been fully ruled out. © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Kidd has a coaching record of 362-339 in the regular season and 31-33 in the postseason with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Mavericks. He was a superstar with the New Jersey Nets and coached Brooklyn for one season, so he's familiar with the New York market. Advertisement When Kidd left the Nets for the Bucks in 2014, Milwaukee had to trade two second-round draft picks to Brooklyn to get the Hall of Famer. The Knicks would have to send draft compensation to Dallas to get Kidd, who has two years left on his contract with the Mavericks. Some believe Kidd is using the Knicks as leverage to get a contract extension from the Mavericks, who have the first overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. Dallas is widely expected to draft Duke's Cooper Flagg. As for the Knicks, they are focused on Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins in their coaching search, per Sam Amick of The Athletic, but it sounds like we can't fully close the door on Kidd returning to New York. Related: NBA Trade Idea Sends Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd to Knicks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
