The New York Knicks plan to interview two head coaches who were fired during the 2024-25 season as they continue to seek a replacement for dismissed coach Tom Thibodeau, ESPN reported Saturday.
Set to chat with the Knicks are former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, who coached the Memphis Grizzlies, per the report.
The Knicks have been turned aside in their efforts to talk with current NBA head coaches, with their teams not granting permission. The list includes Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets) and Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks).
The Knicks fired Thibodeau last week after the team lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals — the first time they’d advanced to that round in 25 years.
Brown, 55, was fired 31 games into his third season in Sacramento, where he posted a 107-88 overall record. He previously was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and has a career record of 454-304 in the regular season.
His teams are 50-40 in the postseason, and Brown took the LeBron James-led Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in the 2006-07 season. Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
He’s been named NBA Coach of the Year twice, first with Cleveland following the 2008-09 season and then with Sacramento in 2022-23, when he led the Kings to their first postseason in 16 seasons.
The Grizzlies fired Jenkins, 40, in March with nine games left in the regular season and a 44-29 record. At the time he was ousted. the Grizzlies were tied for fourth place in the standings in the Western Conference. They ended the season 3-6 and fell to the play-in round, capturing the No. 8 seed.
They were swept by the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the play-in round.
Jenkins had a 250-214 record in nearly six full seasons with the Grizzlies. They qualified for the playoffs three times and were 9-14, winning just one series.
–Field Level Media
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