The New York Knicks finally decided on a head coach, bringing in Mike Brown to be Tom Thibodeau's successor. They showed interest in plenty of candidates, but were denied by many NBA teams when they requested to interview their head coaches. They also interviewed New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego before deciding on Brown.
Borrego has been a head coach before with the Charlotte Hornets and will likely get another chance soon. He came up in the Gregg Popovich tree in San Antonio, and the NBA will always have an interest in coaches from under Popovich.
New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego
Mar 30, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego reacts against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
The Knicks remained interested in Borrego even after hiring Brown, as Coach Brown wanted to bring Borrego in to be his lead assistant. However, since it would be a lateral move, the Pelicans are allowed to deny permission.
Ian Begley of SNY reported that "Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, a Knicks target for a lead spot on Mike Brown’s staff, will be staying in New Orleans, per league sources familiar with the matter."
BREAKING: Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, a Knicks target for a lead spot on Mike Brown’s staff, will be staying in New Orleans, per @IanBegley.
After targeting Borrego as their lead assistant under Brown, the Knicks will now have to pivot elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/meZhaqEHbP
— SleeperKnicks (@SleeperKnicks) July 9, 2025
"Knicks interviewed Borrego for their head coaching position and had interest in adding him to Brown’s staff. But he is highly valued by NOP and is currently under contract with Pelicans," Begley added. "So he won’t be an option for Brown’s staff."
That will keep Borrego in New Orleans for the third straight year. There's a world where if the Pelicans' season doesn't go well, they dismiss Willie Green as the head coach and promote Borrego internally. Green is entering his fifth season with the franchise and is coming off a 21-61 season, and it's a new regime that will likely want to insert their own guy eventually.
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