The Knicks fired coach Derek Fisher this past week and named Kurt Rambis interim coach. New York had lost nine of its last 10 games to drop to 23-31, five games back of the Pistons for eighth place in the Eastern Conference at the time of Fisher’s dismissal. Fisher’s record in a season and a half with the team was 40-96, including last season’s 17-65 disaster. The Knicks signed Fisher to a five-year, $25MM deal after the team reportedly encountered difficulty in its negotiations with Jackson’s top choice, Steve Kerr, who chose to take the Warriors job instead. Fisher made headlines during his time with New York for an alleged run-in with Matt Barnes.
League sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com that they believe Brian Shaw and Luke Walton, both of whom have ties to team president Phil Jackson, are the team’s top long-term candidates for the position. Former Knicks assistant Tom Thibodeau has always wanted to become the head coach in New York and “would crawl” to Madison Square Garden for the job, a confidant told Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
Here’s more from the week that was…
Miscellaneous News
- Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler will be out three to four weeks with a strained left knee.
- Warriors assistant Luke Walton hired the Wasserman Media Group to represent him.
- Grizzlies center Marc Gasol suffered a broken right foot and will be out of action indefinitely.
- Hawks director of international scouting Himar Ojeda left the team to accept a position with the German club Alba Berlin.
- Clippers combo guard Austin Rivers will be sidelined four to six weeks with a broken left hand.
- Warriors big man Festus Ezeli underwent surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out six weeks.
- Former Bucks center Larry Sanders plans to attempt an NBA comeback, but says that he wants to address other opportunities first.
- Former 2007 No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden was released by the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association.
- Some “cursory contact” has reportedly taken place between the Timberwolves and former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.
- Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder and is likely out for the remainder of the season.
- Tyreke Evans will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
- Auburn junior point guard Kareem Canty has decided to enter this year’s NBA draft and leave the school.
Signings
- The Suns signed Jordan McRae to a second 10-day contract.
- Elliot Williams, who played five games with the Grizzlies last month, signed with Panathinaikos of Greece.
- Nuggets camp cut Matt Janning signed with the Russian club Lokomotiv Cuban.
You can stay up to date on all the 10-day deals handed out with our 10-day contract tracker.
D-League News
- Former first-round pick Jordan Hamilton, who finished last season with the Clippers, intends to sign with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s D-League affiliate.
You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.