Following the surprising dismissal of Tom Thibodeau after leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks have been aggressively pursuing established head coaches currently employed by other NBA franchises.

However, their efforts have been met with a firm refusal, as every team they approached declined to grant permission for their head coaches to interview with New York.

Knicks target sitting head coaches

Under the guidance of team president Leon Rose, the Knicks formally requested interviews with several prominent head coaches, including Quin Snyder of the Atlanta Hawks, Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets, and Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Despite the high-profile nature of these coaches and the Knicks’ clear interest in securing a proven leader, all four teams rejected New York’s requests. This left the Knicks unable to even begin formal discussions with their top targets.

This approach is a notable departure from the norm in NBA coaching searches. Traditionally, teams in need of a new head coach focus on assistants from other organizations, recently fired head coaches, or promising candidates from the college ranks.

By targeting sitting head coaches under contract, the Knicks signaled their desire for an experienced and established figure to guide the franchise. However, the uniform refusal from these teams highlights how protective franchises are of their coaching staff, especially when those coaches are not actively seeking a move.

The New York Knicks’ next steps

The reasons behind these rejections are rooted in NBA protocols and the prerogatives of each franchise. Teams are under no obligation to allow their coaches to interview elsewhere, particularly when those coaches are under contract and not pursuing a new position.

The only recent exception to this came in 2014, when the Brooklyn Nets allowed Jason Kidd to interview with and ultimately join the Milwaukee Bucks, with draft compensation involved.

With their preferred targets unavailable, the Knicks are now left to consider more traditional options. This may mean turning their attention to top assistant coaches from other teams or to recently available head coaches who have demonstrated success in the league. 

Michael Malone, the former Denver Nuggets coach who led his team to an NBA championship just two years ago, could emerge as a viable candidate.