The New York Knicks have now whiffed on five head coaching interview opportunities, as five different NBA teams have denied their request.
Evidently, that's the nature of trying to land an active head coach after firing their own. Tom Thibodeau was the Knicks' bench boss for five seasons, most recently helping lead them to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years.
After firing Thibodeau, Leon Rose and the Knicks have yet to land an interview with an active coach, as they've been denied permission to speak to Jason Kidd, Chris Finch, Ime Udoka, Billy Donovan and Quin Snyder thus far.
While many are bashing New York for seemingly not having a plan, they are simply casting a wide net and taking their time to nail the proper hire.
This case is a bit interesting, as major roster decisions are going to have to be made this offseason, so the club might want their head coach in place to give input on those decisions.
New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns with Jalen Brunson in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns with Jalen Brunson in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Knicks are now focused on two candidates, both of whom were fired from their respective teams this past season: Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins.
If they can't get an active coach, why not get one who was active for a portion of last season?
Being denied for interview requests is proving to be a hurdle, so getting recent head coaches off the open market is the next move for the Knicks.
Evidently, New York can always lean towards a highly respected assistant coach with plenty of experience, if they are keen on getting someone with title experience in the organization.
The Knicks are clearly okay with moving slower in this process, though, which could lend a hand that they want someone to handle their current roster in place, despite reports saying the franchise wants to be aggressive this offseason.