The New York Knicks continue to strike out when it comes to getting permission from teams to speak to potential coaching candidates.
The Atlanta Hawks became the latest team to turn away the Knicks when they requested to speak with coach Quin Snyder, to which they were “firmly denied,” according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
New York was also denied permission to speak to Houston Rockets’ Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Chris Finch.
Udoka, the former Boston Celtics coach, just wrapped up his first season in Houston and led the Rockets to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They were ultimately eliminated from the playoffs in the first round in seven games by the Golden State Warriors, but it’s clear the Rockets are comfortable with Udoka at the helm.
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, have reached the Western Conference Finals the past two seasons.
The Knicks are in search of a new coach after they fired Tom Thibodeau after a Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the team’s best playoff run in over two decades — which included a stunning upset of the Celtics.
It’s unclear where the Knicks go from here, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Tuesday that there is “mutual intrigue” between New York and Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.