New York Knicks
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The New York Knicks finished with 51 wins, their highest total since 2013. They also reached the final four, otherwise known as the Eastern Conference Finals, which is the farthest they’ve gotten since 2000.
Yet, that wasn’t good enough to help Tom Thibodeau keep his job. The Knicks fired their coach of the past five years on Tuesday. Now, they’re looking for replacements.
According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, the Knicks could even potentially turn to current Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
Yet, Bondy is unsure of how available Kidd actually is. Thus, the Knicks could potentially even turn to other former NBA head coaches like Mike Brown and Luke Walton.
“Jason Kidd, another potential candidate, is also under contract with the Mavericks, but the possibility of him shaking loose is less clear at this point. Two random names I heard recently for the Knicks job are Mike Brown (currently unemployed) and Luke Walton (lead assistant in Detroit).”
New York Post’s Stefan Bondy on New York Knicks coaching situation
Of course, Kidd does have his own strong ties to the Knicks, having played for the team for two seasons from 2012 to 2013, the final two years of his playing career. That’s not even including his ties to Jalen Brunson, whom Kidd coached for a year with the Mavs.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s NBA analyst Tim MacMahon believes Kidd could be in play to fill the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy.
“So you’ve got to bring in a relationships guy. And listen, one of the names that’s been thrown out there is a man who’s under contract with another team, but definitely a guy who has relationships not just with Jalen Brunson, but with a lot of people in that organization. And that’s Jason Kidd. And what I will say about that is, I would not dismiss that possibility.
So, with multiple basketball minds linking Kidd to the Knicks, is it actually a distinct possibility? Only if the Mavericks are willing to move on from their coach. Considering they’re nearly starting fresh with Cooper Flagg as their new franchise player, anything could be in play.
Related: New York Knicks coaching candidates to replace Tom Thibodeau