With the New York Knicks‘ poaching bid going nowhere, their coaching search is now pivoting to free-agent coaches.
Two veteran head coaches available in the market have emerged as early candidates after the Knicks have been rejected for the fifth time in their bid to poach an active NBA coach, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported.
The Chicago Bulls became the fifth team to reject the Knicks’ formal request to speak with their coach, Billy Donovan, after the Atlanta Hawks (Quin Snyder), Dallas Mavericks (Jason Kidd), Minnesota Timberwolves (Chris Finch) and Houston Rockets (Ime Udoka).
“Yet with the Knicks seemingly shooting air balls left and right in pursuit of employed head coaches, league sources say there is an increased Knicks focus on two former coaches who don’t require permission to pursue: Mike Brown (last with the Sacramento Kings) and Taylor Jenkins (formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies),” Amick wrote.
Between the two early candidates, Brown has stronger link to the Knicks through William Wesley, the team’s executive vice president and senior basketball advisor, Amick reported.
“While [James] Dolan is the holder of supreme Knicks power, and team president Leon Rose is the undisputed leader of the front office, executive vice president William Wesley (aka “Worldwide Wes”) continues to have the kind of influence that matters a great deal during times like these. For Brown’s purposes, it certainly doesn’t hurt his case that his close relationship with Wesley dates back to the mid-2000s days when Brown was coaching LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers (Wesley, at that time, was a league-wide power broker and one of James’ primary confidantes),” Amick wrote.
Mike Brown: The Defensive Guru
Getty Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown is named an early candidate for the New York Knicks coaching job.
Brown, 55, left a strong impression on the Knicks when he interviewed for their coaching vacancy which ultimately went to Tom Thibodeau five years ago, according to Amick.
After losing to Thibodeau, Brown remained with the Golden State Warriors and won his fourth championship as an assistant coach in 2022. He parlayed that into his fourth head coaching job when the Kings hired him ahead of the 2022-23 season.
In Brown’s first year, the Kings secured a playoff berth for the first time since 2006, earning him his second NBA Coach of the Year award. He became the first coach in NBA history to win the award by a unanimous vote.
Ironically, Brown, known as a defensive guru like Thibodeau, guided the Kings into becoming the league’s top offense in his first year in historic fashion. The Kings regressed from there, missing the playoffs in Brown’s second year at the helm.
Under his watch, the Kings’ defense never ranked higher than 18th because of their inability to defend the 3-point line, particularly wide-open shots, where they ranked 28th in the league before his firing. Ultimately, a 13-18 start in his third season cost Brown his job.
Taylor Jenkins: The Innovative Coach
GettyWill Taylor Jenkins move from coaching Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to New York Knicks All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson?
On the other hand, Jenkins, 40, was known for his innovative offensive schemes in Memphis before he lost his job midway through this season due to the Grizzlies’ struggles against teams with winning records and “losing the locker room,” according to ESPN.
In some ways, Jenkins’ Grizzlies teams resemble the Indiana Pacers, who play with a fast-paced style of basketball anchored by their speedy franchise guard Ja Morant.
Jenkins isn’t shy in experimenting and expanding his rotation during the regular season, which was one of the criticisms hurled at Thibodeau.
If Jenkins takes over the Knicks job, it will be interesting to see how he makes the Knicks play faster with Jalen Brunson, who thrives on halfcourt and milking the clock which is the anti-thesis of Morant.
Knicks Pivot to Ex-NBA Coach of the Year & Youthful Innovator: Report