Jay Wright is reportedly not interested in the New York Knicks job.
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Jay Wright is reportedly not interested in the New York Knicks job.
The New York Knicks have taken their first blow in the search for a new head coach. Jay Wright, had been linked with the position following Tom Thibodeau’s release. Yet, he reportedly has no interest in taking up the role, according to Steph Davis of Hoops HQ.
“BREAKING: Jay Wright has confirmed to me that he has informed the Knicks that he is not interested in any coaching position and plans to remain retired,” Davis reported via X.
Wright had been linked to the Knicks due to the strong Villanova connection within the roster. He spent 21 years as the head coach of the Wildcats and thus has a strong relationship with multiple members of the Knicks locker room.
Now that Wright has withdrawn from the running for the coaching job, New York must continue to whittle down the candidates to take over from Thibodeau. Currently, it would seem that all of their preferred options are under contract with other franchises around the NBA.
Still, the Knicks must act with decisiveness this summer. Moving on from Thibodeau after an Eastern Conference Finals run was a dice roll. The front office can’t let the coaching search drag on and become a saga.
Knicks Have Jason Kidd on Their Radar
According to a June 6 report from ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon, the Knicks are interested in hiring Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks.
“The New York Knicks are conducting active due diligence on Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd among other head coaching candidates in their search to replace Tom Thibodeau, sources told ESPN,” Charania and MacMahon reported. “The Knicks have yet to request permission to speak to Kidd, who has two years remaining on the contract extension he signed during the Mavs’ 2024 run to the NBA Finals, sources said.”
Kidd is a highly experienced NBA coach. He is one year removed from leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. They ultimately lost to the Boston Celtics. However, Dallas will likely be unwilling to part with Kidd this summer. He has proven himself to be an important part of the Mavericks puzzle.
Knicks Also Eyeing Ime Udoka, Chris Finch
In a June 6 report, SNY’s Ian Begley named three potential coaching candidates the Knicks could be interested in hiring. Of those three coaches, all of them are currently under contract elsewhere in the NBA.
“Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, and Jason Kidd are among the coaches currently under contract who the Knicks have degrees of interest in,” Begley reported.
It will be interesting to see whether the Knicks also look at some less experienced candidates, too. Someone like Sam Cassell of Boston could be an appealing candidate. Cassell has proven himself as an assistant in multiple stops around the league. However, given New York’s dreams of winning a championship, a first-time head coach may be too risky.
Whatever the Knicks decide to do, the world will be watching. After all, New York is the only team in the NBA with a coaching vacancy right now. As such, every move they make will be widely scrutinized.