The New York Knicks are among the eight teams whose offseasons have officially begun, as they will not be part of the planned 22-team restart in Orlando later this summer. While there will be major decisions to make in October regarding the draft and free agency, the first order of business in Manhattan is finding their next head coach.
It has been the prevailing thought of many that former Bulls and Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau would get the Knicks job, but Leon Rose is doing his due diligence and going through a full interview process, including some other intriguing names. Warriors assistant and former Cavs head coach Mike Brown is reportedly on the Knicks list for interviews, along with Spurs assistant Will Hardy and Sixers assistant Ime Udoku. Recently fired Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is also a strong contender for the job.
On Monday, another name emerged, as Marc Stein of the New York Times confirmed rumblings that ex-Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd, currently an assistant with the Lakers, was on the Knicks list of candidates and that the Lakers had granted New York permission to interview him.
The Knicks have requested and received permission to interview the Lakers’ Jason Kidd for their head coaching vacancy, @NYTSports has learned
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2020
Kidd’s tenure in Brooklyn and Milwaukee saw some on-court success, but also came with lots of grumblings about his hard nosed approach as well as conflicts with management over power dynamics. He has drawn nothing but positive reviews from those around the Lakers this year, and there seems to be some indication that some time away from the lead spot on the bench has shifted his perspective a bit and given him a better relationship with those in the front office.