Daniel Brady is returning to an NBA bench in Minnesota, another familiar Knicks name resurfacing elsewhere during an offseason that has quietly thinned New York’s organizational depth.
The Timberwolves are hiring Brady as an assistant coach on Chris Finch’s staff, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Brady spent last season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G League after three seasons on Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the Knicks. He previously worked with the Thunder, Hawks and Rockets.
Brady’s move is not a direct 2026 loss for New York; he had already been gone for a season. But it arrives amid a broader stretch of departures involving coaches, development staff and front-office personnel who helped shape the Knicks’ recent rise.
Knicks Have Lost Several Behind-the-Scenes Pieces
New York’s championship offseason has brought more change than the roster sheet alone shows.
Senior vice president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas departed the organization. Assistant coach Carson Shanks also left, followed by Jordan Brink, who joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach and director of player development. Brink had spent three seasons with the Knicks and worked under Thibodeau before remaining on Mike Brown’s staff during the 2026 championship season.
Brink’s responsibilities had grown beyond a traditional assistant role. He worked in video analysis, special situations and player development, and became one of Brown’s trusted voices during the title run. Shanks, meanwhile, had worked across development, video and analytics.
As of Thursday, the Knicks have not announced replacements for Brink or Shanks, and no replacement hires have been publicly reported.
That creates an unusual backdrop for Brady’s return to the league. He is not walking out the Knicks’ door now, but another coach who came through Thibodeau’s operation has landed elsewhere while New York is still filling holes left by this summer’s staff turnover.
Daniel Brady Built Career Through Development Work
Brady’s career has been shaped by the less visible parts of NBA coaching.
Before New York, he spent four seasons in Oklahoma City’s organization, working in player development with the Thunder and as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Blue. His résumé also includes stops with Atlanta and Houston, with much of his work centered on video, preparation and player development.
That profile helps explain Minnesota’s interest.
Finch and Thibodeau have long maintained mutual respect, and Brady spent three seasons inside a Knicks program built around repetition, accountability and detailed preparation. He then spent a year working directly with younger players in Rio Grande Valley before getting another NBA opportunity.
Timberwolves Add Another Voice Around Anthony Edwards
Minnesota is also reshaping its staff.
Brady joins a Timberwolves organization that has undergone coaching turnover while simultaneously remaking the roster around Anthony Edwards. The Wolves added LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga this offseason while moving on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid, creating a different mix around Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
For Finch, that means integrating new talent while keeping a contender’s standards intact.
Brady’s background makes him suited for that kind of work. He has coached prospects, veterans and G League players, and he has seen how a demanding NBA staff operates up close.
For the Knicks, his hiring is another reminder of how widely their recent coaching tree has spread.
Brady is back in the NBA. Brink is in Chicago. Rosas and Shanks are gone.
And with no replacements yet announced for Brink or Shanks, New York still has some behind-the-scenes work to finish before training camp.
Knicks Lose Another Former Assistant to Western Conference Contender