New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Woodson, Gibson, Hayes

July 19th, 2020 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Tom Thibodeau has been doing extensive film study on the Knicks in case he gets hired as the team’s next head coach, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Thibodeau, who is among 11 candidates to receive an interview, is considered to be the favorite for the job.

Thibodeau recently had a second interview that lasted three hours, Berman adds. He is reportedly very interested in helping to develop second-year center Mitchell Robinson, who has already emerged as one of the league’s most dangerous shot blockers.

Former Knicks coach Rick Pitino, who has a long history with Thibodeau, talks with Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News about the coach’s reputation for being prepared. “He was meticulously organized, almost scary organized, and he reminded me of (New England Patriots coach) Bill Belichick,” Pitino said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Belichick and Thibodeau’s got a lot of the same mannerisms, the same attention to detail that Belichick has. And that’s about the highest compliment I could give someone.”

There’s more on the Knicks this morning:

Mike Woodson will be a candidate to join the staff in New York even if he doesn’t get hired as the head coach, Berman adds in a separate story. David Fizdale reportedly wanted to bring on Woodson as an assistant when he was hired, but the front office turned him down.
Taj Gibson, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota, didn’t say much about the coaching search during a rally Saturday in New York, but he expressed confidence that the organization will make “the right decision,” Berman writes in another piece. Gibson, who is waiting for the Knicks to decide on his $9.5MM player option for next season, was disappointed that the team wasn’t invited to be part of the NBA’s restart in Orlando. “Any competitor type would want to be out there and competing,” he said, “but we’re not and I’m just working hard in the gym getting ready for next season.’’
The agent for French point guard Killian Hayes confirmed that the Knicks are among several teams that conducted video interviews with the projected lottery pick, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

New York Notes: T. Johnson, M. Jackson, Thibodeau, Randle

July 17th, 2020 at 11:15am CST by Arthur Hill

It took four years, but Tyler Johnson is finally a member of the Nets and he’s thrilled about the opportunity, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks presented Johnson with a four-year, $50MM offer sheet in 2016, hoping to snare the young guard as part of a rebuilding project.

Johnson’s stock has fallen considerably since Miami chose to match that offer. He has been out of the league since the Suns waived him in February after a disappointing season following knee surgery. The Nets signed him last month to fill one of their many roster openings.

“Maybe I wasn’t at 100 percent. I was working through it, trying to get right,” Johnson said, adding that his knee is now fully healed. “But I didn’t have that pop, that bounce I used to have where I’d try to go up over the top of people. Who knows if that played a role in anything. I don’t put any blame anywhere but myself. At the end of the day I can only control myself. … Unfortunately it didn’t work out. But fortunately, I’m here. I find myself in a position where I can have a little bit of redemption.”

There’s more on the New York teams:

There may be hints that Kevin Durant is throwing his support behind Mark Jackson to be the Nets‘ next head coach, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest podcast. Windhorst notes that Rich Kleiman, Durant’s friend and business partner, has started tweeting frequently about Jackson, the former Warriors coach and current ABC/ESPN broadcaster.
Former player and current agent B.J. Armstrong believes Tom Thibodeau would be an excellent choice as the Knicks‘ head coach, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Armstrong represents Derrick Rose, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago in Minnesota and maintains a tight relationship with the coach. “I always admired how (Thibodeau) coached,’’ Armstrong said. “He brings the fire and the heat. And most importantly, he’s always prepared for the game. He loves the game. He had an excellent career in this league. He made a life commitment to the game. I’ll be really happy for him (if he gets the job).’’
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic looks at how the Knicks might be able to find a better role for Julius Randle if he remains with the team next season. New York is reportedly willing to trade Randle, but his salary may make that difficult in the current financial climate.

Thibodeau, Kidd Shine In Second Round Of Knicks Coaching Interviews

July 14th, 2020 at 7:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Head coach interviews for the Knicks are heating up, according to The New York Post’s Marc Berman. Tom Thibodeau remains the leader in the clubhouse for the gig, though Jason Kidd is nipping at his heels following a strong second interview. Kenny Atkinson also remains in the running for the position. The team conducted at least 11 three-hour second interviews that wrapped up yesterday.

Knicks Complete Second Round Of Head Coaching Interviews

July 13th, 2020 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have completed the second round of interviews for their head coaching job, according to Steve Popper of Newsday.

As reports last month indicated – and as president of basketball operations Leon Rose later confirmed – the Knicks’ search process included a first round of informal meetings with the candidates for its head coaching position. More recently, the club conducted a second round of more formal interviews.

It’s not clear whether the Knicks are now ready to make their decision or whether the organization will narrow down its initial list of 11 candidates to a smaller group of finalists before finalizing a hire. Rose said during an appearance on MSG Network last month that he expects the team to make a decision on its permanent head coach before the NBA resumes its season later this month in Florida.

According to Popper, Tom Thibodeau – who has been considered the frontrunner since the start of the process – remains the odds-on favorite. However, New York’s search was wide-ranging.

In addition to Thibodeau and interim head coach Mike Miller, the club also interviewed former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, former Knicks coach Mike Woodson, former Bucks and Nets coach Jason Kidd, former Lakers and Cavs coach Mike Brown, and five current assistants without head coaching experience, including Ime Udoka of the Sixers.

The full list of candidates can be found on our 2020 head coaching tracker.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks will get the opportunity to learn about “the Spurs way” during their head coaching interviews, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who points out that besides current Spurs assistant Will Hardy, Udoka has also served on Gregg Popovich‘s staff.
In a mailbag for The New York Post, Berman discusses the Knicks’ coaching decision, potential offseason targets, Allonzo Trier‘s departure, and more.
Knicks executive Craig Robinson has been named the next executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (Twitter link). Robinson is on an expiring deal with New York and the expectation has been that he won’t be retained by the new management group, led by Rose.

Mike Woodson Has Second Interview With Knicks

July 11th, 2020 at 10:57am CST by marksuleymanov

As the Knicks move forward with hiring a new head coach, the team had its second interview with candidate Mike Woodson on Friday, per SNY’s Ian Begley.

Woodson is among 11 known candidates New York is considering for the vacant role. While the presumed frontrunner for the job, Tom Thibodeau, has received most of the attention, the Knicks have also been connected to Kenny Atkinson, Jason Kidd, Mike Brown, Chris Fleming, Will Hardy, Ime Udoka, Pat Delany, and Jamahl Mosley.

As Begley details, all of the Knicks’ candidates had their first meetings with the team last month or during the first week of July. Woodson is among those that had his second interview this week. It’s not clear if a third round of meetings will be required, Begley adds.

Last month, Woodson spoke to Begley about his first tour of duty with the Knicks and why he feels the team can win under his tutelage once again.

“I did my job when I was here. We won games. The fan base was engaged. I walked out of the Garden many nights thinking that the fans were proud and excited about what we were doing,” Woodson said. “Am I capable of coming back to New York and helping them build a winning team again? I feel confident in that, I absolutely do.”

Woodson, 62, was the Knicks’ head coach from 2012-14 and was at the helm for the organization’s most recent postseason appearance. After his dismissal from the Knicks, Woodson joined Doc Rivers‘ staff in Los Angeles as an assistant coach.

New York has gone through a Rolodex of coaches since his departure, a list that includes Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek, David Fizdale and most recently, Mike Miller. Woodson, however, feels that with the current brass in power, he can guide a young Knicks team to a winning mentality.

“I think with the people in charge, with (president of basketball operations) Leon (Rose) and (GM) Scott (Perry) and (owner) Jim (Dolan) and everyone else that they hired on board, they will build a winner,” Woodson said. “At the end of the day, it takes everybody being on board to make it happen. That’s what we did (the last time I was here). We all had a great working relationship when I was here. That can definitely happen again. “

LaMelo Ball Reportedly Prefers Knicks; Woodson Interviews For HC Job

July 10th, 2020 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Multiple teams believe that LaMelo Ball and people in his circle view the Knicks as their preferred landing spot, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. However, since Ball is considered a lock to be a top-five pick and a candidate to come off the board first overall in the 2020 NBA draft, it’s possible New York won’t get an opportunity to select him.

Because the lottery odds for the league’s bottom eight teams are already locked in, we know the Knicks have a 9% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick and a 37.2% chance at a top-four pick. The more likely outcome would see the team draft seventh or eighth overall, in which case Ball would presumably out of reach unless New York is willing to trade up.

Mike Woodson‘s previously-reported interview with the Knicks for their head coaching job is taking place on Friday, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). The team continues to work its way through meetings with 11 candidates and intends to name a permanent head coach before the end of the month.

Heat Viewed As Threat For Oladipo In 2021?

July 10th, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo isn’t set to reach free agency until the 2021 offseason, but now that he has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, he’ll likely be entering a contract year the next time we see him on the court. As a result, there has been increased speculation as of late about his long-term future.

As J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star details, that speculation only figures to increase following Oladipo’s decision to sit out the NBA restart. Although Oladipo is considered to be sidelined for injury reasons, meaning he won’t forfeit his remaining salary, the two-time All-Star made the decision and announced it himself without giving the Pacers a heads-up.

As Michael notes, the Pacers consider themselves a player-friendly organization and have given Oladipo the leeway to make such decisions — he also announced his return date from his torn quad tendon in January. On top of that, Michael points out that Oladipo was always expected to test the free agent market in 2021 rather than signing an early extension with Indiana, since that will give him the opportunity to maximize his earnings.

A pair of league sources tell The Indianapolis Star that Oladipo will be prioritizing two things in free agency: The most money possible and the chance to compete for championships. The Pacers, who will hold Oladipo’s Bird rights, will be in position to offer him more money and more years than any rival suitor, so if he feels good about the club’s chances to make deep postseason runs, Indiana should be in the driver’s seat to re-sign him.

Still, Oladipo may consider other options. If he does, Michael suggests that the Knicks aren’t the most logical landing spot, despite the presence of Oladipo’s former agent Leon Rose in the front office. According to Michael, the “strongest preliminary indication” is that the Heat would be the biggest threat to sign Oladipo.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Heat linked to Oladipo. Miami is expected to have cap room available in 2021 and president Pat Riley intends to go star-hunting. Giannis Antetokounmpo has frequently been cited as the team’s No. 1 target, but if Giannis re-ups with the Bucks, Oladipo could emerge as Miami’s top priority. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last month that the Heat have “made it known” they intend to pursue both Antetokounmpo and Oladipo in 2021, if possible.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald details, there would be a number of cap obstacles to overcome if the Heat try to land both players, particularly given the uncertain impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the salary cap going forward. But as we saw when they acquired Jimmy Butler last summer, the Heat have shown a willingness to get creative with sign-and-trades to a acquire a maximum-salary player even when they don’t have the cap room to sign him outright.

We’re still a year away from Oladipo reaching the open market, and plenty could happen between now and then to shift the outlook of his free agency — he’ll need to look like his old self in 2020/21 to even be assured of maximum-salary offers, for instance. For now though, based on Michael’s report and others, it sounds like the Pacers are preparing to have to ward off the Heat to retain their 28-year-old star.

Knicks Conduct Interviews With Thibs, Fleming

July 9th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks‘ previously-reported head coaching interviews with Tom Thibodeau and Bulls assistant Chris Fleming took place on Thursday, according to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). Thibodeau and Fleming are two of 11 candidates for the position, as our tracker shows.

Examining Jason Kidd's Candidacy For Knicks' HC Job

July 8th, 2020 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

Marc Berman of The New York Post explores Jason Kidd‘s candidacy for the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy, noting that some insiders believe he’s the best “long-shot threat” to presumed frontrunner Tom Thibodeau. However, opinions on Kidd are mixed. “I wouldn’t hire Jason Kidd if he was the last coach standing,” one NBA source (who has worked with Kidd) told Berman. “It would be a terrible choice. There’s a reason Milwaukee is in the place where they are right now — coaching.”

Young Scout Alex Kline On Fast Track To Success

July 6th, 2020 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s no surprise that Knicks 26-year-old scout Alex Kline is on the fast track to success, as Zach Braziller of the New York Post details. Kline started his own recruiting site when he was in high school and quickly gained respect. “Alex is wise beyond his years and someone I have always respected for both his hard-working mentality and talent evaluating skills,” new Knicks president Leon Rose told Braziller. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla told The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov that Kline will have a prominent front office job before long. “As a basketball guy, this kid is going to go places. … Is he going to turn into an NBA superstar GM? That remains to be seen, but he’s got all the tools,” Fraschilla said.