NBA Rumors: New York Knicks eyeing Jalen Brunson’s former coach Jason Kidd as Tom Thibodeau’s replacement

The New York Knicks shocked the NBA world when they parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday. The Knicks decided to move on from Thibodeau, who led the franchise to its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000. The latest rumors suggest that they are interested in Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein in his latest Substack post, the Knicks are looking at Kidd, as well as Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets. They will look to secure permission from the Mavs and Rockets to speak with both coaches regarding taking over New York.

However, the Mavs and Rockets are not expected to entertain the idea and reject any advances from the Knicks. Kidd and Udoka have two years left on their respective contracts in Dallas and Houston.

Trending

While some fans were not surprised that Tom Thibodeau was booted by the New York Knicks, others thought that his job was safe. Jalen Brunson, the team's best player, gave his vote of confidence after the Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers.

However, the Knicks went in a different direction, which is to hire someone who could take the franchise to the next level. Thibodeau was outcoached by Rick Carlisle, who utilized his entire roster in ensuring that his starters stayed fresh the entire series.

Thibs finally went with his bench a little too late in the Eastern Conference finals. He could have done a better job integrating his role players during the regular season, but he was too reliant on his starters.

Michael Malone favored to be the next New York Knicks coach

The New York Knicks have started their search for a new head coach, and there are a lot of names with experience in winning an NBA championship. Michael Malone and Mike Budenholzer are currently not coaching, while Frank Vogel is with the Dallas Mavericks as a consultant.

According to the latest betting odds, Malone is the favorite to become the Knicks' next head coach. The New York Post's Stefan Bondy reported that New York might not be keen on bringing the former Denver Nuggets coach.

The second favorite is current Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach, Johnnie Bryant, who is also a finalist for the Phoenix Suns coaching gig. Bryant spent four seasons with the Knicks under Tom Thibodeau from 2020 to 2024.

Budenholzer, Jay Wright and Rick Brunson are all in the top five, with Budenholzer spending last season in Phoenix before getting the boot. Wright was the longtime coach of Villanova before retiring in 2023. Brunson is a current assistant, but has no prior experience as an NBA head coach.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Juan Paolo David

Juan Paolo is a journalist for Sportskeeda who covers the NBA and WNBA. He's been writing about basketball since 2015 and has been with Sportskeeda since 2021.

Juan's allegiance lies with the Golden State Warriors and his journey with the Warriors began with their memorable victory over the Lakers in 2000, and he experienced the successes of the 'We Believe' era and the rise of Steph Curry. 

What Juan loves most about basketball is its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from adrenaline-fueled excitement to the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. To ensure complete accuracy in articles, he conducts thorough research before writing his articles.

The Warriors' victories in the 2022 and 2017 championships hold a special place in Juan's memories, as well as iconic moments like Baron Davis' dunk over Andrei Kirilenko and Goran Dragic's performance in the 2010 Western Conference semifinals.

Off the court, Juan enjoys watching football, TV and movies, caring for his numerous cats, and cooking whenever time permits.

Know More