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Latest On The Knicks’ Coaching Search

April 16th, 2018 at 4:19pm CST by ChrisCrouse

APRIL 16th, 4:19pm: Stackhouse is interviewing with the Knicks this afternoon, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.

APRIL 15th, 2:13pm: New York is planning to meet with David Fizdale, Mark Jackson, and Jerry Stackhouse for the organization’s head coaching gig, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. All three are expected to be in high demand this hiring season.

Mike Woodson is also on the Knicks’ radar, as they have received permission from the Clippers to talk to their former head coach. However, Woodson is not considered to be in the “top tier” of the organization’s initial candidates.

The Knicks have also set up a meeting with David Blatt, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). Blatt, who is considered one of the most successful coaches in European basketball history, took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals during his only full season with the club.

The team fired coach Jeff Hornacek last week after just two seasons with the franchise. He finished his stint with a record of 60-104.

Knicks Not Showing Interest In Jeff Van Gundy

April 16th, 2018 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite contact between the Knicks and Jeff Van Gundy‘s representatives, the franchise hasn’t shown any real interest in bringing back its former head coach, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com.

According to Begley, Van Gundy would be open to discussing the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy if the team expresses interest in him as a candidate. However, league sources indicate to Begley that any conversations between the Knicks and Van Gundy’s reps didn’t result in the club expressing that interest or looking to line up an interview.

Van Gundy, who is currently employed as an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, coached the Knicks for several years in the late-1990s and early-2000s, leading the team to a 248-172 record (.590) over five full seasons and two more partial seasons. The club went 37-32 in the postseason during that stretch, reaching the NBA Finals in 1999.

While Van Gundy doesn’t appear to be at or near the top of the Knicks’ wish list, the team is considering another one of its former head coaches, having reportedly set up a meeting with Mike Woodson. However, Begley suggests that Woodson isn’t considered to be in the “top tier” of Knicks candidates — for now, that top tier includes David Fizdale, Mark Jackson, Jerry Stackhouse, and David Blatt, per ESPN.

Knicks Notes: Fizdale, Blatt, Offseason Plan

April 16th, 2018 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA’s playoff teams opened their respective series over the weekend, the Knicks moved forward with their search for a new head coach, lining up interviews with a list of candidates that includes David Fizdale, David Blatt, Jerry Stackhouse, Mark Jackson, and Mike Woodson.

For Fizdale to become a serious candidate for the Knicks, the former Grizzlies coach will have to explain what happened with Marc Gasol in Memphis, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The relationship between the Grizzlies’ star center and head coach fell apart by the end of Fizdale’s tenure with the team, and the Knicks can’t afford to have a similar situation happen in New York — after multiple players clashed with Jeff Hornacek, hiring a coach who has “connectivity with the locker room” is a top priority for the Knicks, Berman says.

As for Blatt, he was a former Princeton teammate of Steve Mills, and the Knicks president is the one pushing Blatt’s candidacy in the club’s search process, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. According to Bondy, it’s “hard to imagine” that GM Scott Perry is as bullish on Blatt, so if the former Cavs coach gets the job, it will be “entirely on Mills.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Mills and Perry spoke recently about being approached by Knicks fans who want them to be patient with the rebuilding process, and the front office duo insists owner James Dolan is on board with that approach too (link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com). “Jim has given us the room to be patient, which – again – is not something that’s been common in this organization,” Mills said. “Patience hasn’t been one of our biggest attributes here. … I don’t have any doubt that he’s comfortable with the plan we’re on and (that he) wants us to be patient and not do things that are just, you know, for the quick hit.”
Perry was hired the Knicks after many of last year’s offseason moves had already been made, so what he does with the roster this summer will tell us a lot about his plan for the franchise going forward, says Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders.
Al Iannazzone of Newsday takes an in-depth look at what’s next for the Knicks as the offseason gets underway, and examines which of this year’s players will – or won’t – be back for the 2018/19 season.

Mike Woodson To Interview With Knicks

April 15th, 2018 at 7:36pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks will interview Clippers assistant coach Mike Woodson for their vacant head coaching position on Wednesday in Los Angeles, tweets Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. New York received permission to meet with Woodson, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Woodson is the fifth confirmed candidate that New York plans to interview, including David Blatt, David Fizdale, Jerry Stackhouse, and Mark Jackson. The Knicks have also reportedly reached out to Jeff Van Gundy, who coached the team for parts of seven seasons and led New York to the 1999 NBA Finals.

Like Van Gundy, Woodson also coached the Knicks, serving at the helm for parts of three seasons from 2012-2014. Woodson is the last head coach to lead the Knicks to the playoffs — the team won the Atlantic Division in 2012/13 with a 54-28 record, but was eliminated by the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals that spring.

Woodson also played for the Knicks for one season after the team selected him 12th overall in the 1980 NBA Draft.

The 60-year-old was fired by the Knicks after the 2013/14 season and replaced by rookie coach Derek Fisher. Woodson joined the Clippers as an assistant coach in September 2014 and has held that post since, becoming a key advisor to Doc Rivers.

In an interview on Saturday with Marc Berman of the New York Post, Woodson admitted that he wants to “finish what he started” as the Knicks’ head coach.

“I don’t want to hide the fact I’d love to be back,’’ Woodson said. “I’d like to finish what I started. At the end of the day, you want to come to New York, based on my body of work there. I want it to be mutual. I want them to want me. I hope they call me.’’

Woodson got his wish and he now joins a talented pool of candidates as the Knicks search for Jeff Hornacek’s replacement.

Knicks Notes: Van Gundy, Fizdale, Woodson, World Peace

April 15th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks contacted representatives for Jeff Van Gundy about their coaching vacancy on Saturday, but he is considered a long shot to land the job, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Van Gundy, who coached the team for more than five seasons before resigning in 2001, had a strained relationship with the organization for many years that now seems to have thawed.

“I always keep changing my answer to the same question,” he said this week in an interview with New York-based broadcaster Michael Kay. “Now that the job is available, I can say I just don’t talk about coaching searches. I don’t think it does anybody any good. It doesn’t do me any good, the teams any good. I want what’s best for them. Whatever they decide, I hope it works for them.”

Van Gundy is now a broadcaster for ABC/ESPN, along with fellow Knicks coaching candidate Mark Jackson. Berman states that the Knicks seem to prefer Jackson to Van Gundy, and JVG endorsed his broadcast partner for the job on Friday.

There’s more news on the Knicks’ coaching front:

Former Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale could become the top candidate once he interviews with the Knicks this week, Berman adds in the same story. Fizdale, who coached Memphis to a playoff berth last season, told reporters Friday that he has interviews for the openings in New York and Phoenix. The Knicks like Fizdale’s ability to connect with younger players, Berman notes.
Mike Woodson hasn’t been mentioned among the Knicks’ coaching candidates, but he would like to be considered, Berman relays in a separate piece. Woodson has spent the past four years as an assistant with the Clippers, but was the head coach in New York for two and a half years prior to taking that job. “I don’t want to hide the fact I’d love to be back,” Woodson said. “I’d like to finish what I started. At the end of the day, you want to come to New York, based on my body of work there. I want it to be mutual. I want them to want me. I hope they call me.”
If you’re looking for a long-shot candidate to be the Knicks’ next coach, Metta World Peace threw his hat into the ring Saturday, tweeting, “I would love to be head coach for the @nyknicks.” World Peace played for New York during the 2013/14 season and served as a player development coach for the G League’s South Bay Lakers this year.

Knicks Reach Out To Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson

April 14th, 2018 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have contacted the agents for Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in their search for a head coach to replace Jeff Hornacek, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News.

The partners on ABC/ESPN broadcasts are part of a growing list of candidates that includes David Fizdale, who confirmed that he will interview with the team next week, and Jerry Stackhouse, who could have an interview date in place by Monday. Isola couldn’t confirm whether the Knicks have spoken to Villanova coach Jay Wright, who was in Italy today for an audience with the Pope.

The Knicks contacted Fizdale more than two weeks ago, Isola adds, and some league officials consider him the early favorite to land the job. He led the Grizzlies to the playoffs last season before being fired after 19 games this year in the wake of frequent clashes with Marc Gasol.

Van Gundy is the only one of the current candidates who has a coaching history in New York. He guided the Knicks for five full seasons and parts of two others, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals. He hasn’t coached at the NBA level for more than a decade after being fired by the Rockets in 2007, but has worked with USA Basketball and won a gold medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.

Jackson is also popular in New York, where he played for seven seasons. He coached the Warriors to back-to-back playoff appearances before being let go in 2014. Knicks president Steve Mills recently talked to Warriors GM Bob Myers about coaching attributes, Isola adds, and Jackson’s name probably came up.

Porzingis Won't Be Part Of Coaching Search

April 14th, 2018 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis won’t have an active role in the Knicks‘ search for a new coach, relays Ian Begley of ESPN. The injured Latvian star made that clear before meeting today with team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, telling reporters, “That’s [management’s] job.” The next coach will be the fourth for Porzingis in his four years with the franchise.

Despite the dysfunction, Porzingis added that he wants his long-term future to be in New York. He is eligible for five-year extension worth about $157MM, although the Knicks may wait until next summer to maximize cap room and see how he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered in February. Porzingis said he is focused on rehabbing the injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined until at least December, and his contract situation won’t affect when he plans to return.

Whether Joakim Noah returns to the Knicks next season remains uncertain, but Perry might have dropped a clue this week, according to Chris Iseman of NorthJersey.com. The GM didn’t include the veteran center when he broke the news to players about Jeff Hornacek‘s firing. Noah, who finished the season on an extended leave of absence, still has two years and $37.8MM remaining on the huge contract he signed in 2016. If the team decides to use the stretch provision on September 1 or later, it could open up an additional $12MM in cap space for next summer. Perry said the issue will be examined this offseason.

Knicks Notes: Coaching Change, Noah, O’Quinn, Beasley

April 12th, 2018 at 7:53pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks made the decision to fire head coach Jeff Hornacek and now the team enters the offseason with a huge vacancy and droves of roster questions. Hours after dismissing Hornacek — and assistant coach Kurt Rambis — president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry explained their decision and outlined their offseason plans, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays.

Mills and Perry were honest in their assessment of Hornacek, noting the team wants to see an improvement in communication between the coaches and players.

“The evaluation of Jeff went over the 82 games. We evaluated everything — from practices to games to ability to connect with guys,” Mills said.” I think we need to be better in that area. I think there can be some improvement. It all doesn’t lay at Jeff’s feet, either. But I think that’s something that we could be better at as an organization, and that’s one of the expectations that we have obviously with our next coach, and we have for ourselves as well.”

Below are some more notes from the Mills and Perry end-of-season presser:

There is no timetable to name a new head coach, but Perry said the team would do the work necessary to find the right replacement. “It’s a very competitive market out there,” he said. “We’re going to do our due diligence and take the time necessary to find the right guy that we feel to take us on a long journey, hopefully.”
While Joakim Noah remains on a leave from the team, Perry said the team will revisit the situation to see if a return makes sense. “We’ll go and visit the Joakim situation again as we go through the offseason. We won’t take any options off the table for that matter,” Perry said.
Both Kyle O’Quinn and Michael Beasley, two of the Knicks’ standout players this past season, are set to hit free agency. Perry confirmed the organization’s intention to discuss a reunion with both. “We’re going to visit all that. Obviously, Kyle O’Quinn had a tremendous, tremendous year for us this year. Played very hard,” Perry said. “He’s a New Yorker. Represents a lot about what we want to stand for. So we’d like to bring him back. Obviously we’ll be in contact and visitation with Michael Beasley’s camp to see where that takes us.”

Kyle O’Quinn To Seek $30MM Payday In Free Agency?

April 12th, 2018 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While one Knicks center weighs whether or not to decline his player option, it sounds like another has already made up his mind to opt out. A source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that Kyle O’Quinn, who faces a player option decision this offseason, has been asking for approximately $30MM in guaranteed money on his next contract.

Teammate Enes Kanter was the Knicks’ most productive center, but O’Quinn was a reliable backup, appearing in 77 games (18.0 MPG) and establishing new career highs in PPG (7.1), RPG (6.1), and FG% (.582), among other categories.

O’Quinn almost certainly wouldn’t land as significant a contract as Kanter on the open market, but his player option is worth a modest $4.26MM compared to Kanter’s $18.62MM. That makes it an easier decision to opt out and seek a multiyear deal in free agency.

Although O’Quinn may be looking for a $30MM contract for now, that number could change by the time he actually reaches free agency in July. As Bondy observes, that price tag would be “far too much for a career backup on a losing team.” In a market like 2016’s, when centers like Bismack Biyombo, Ian Mahinmi, and Timofey Mozgov signed mega-deals worth over $60MM apiece, a $30MM contract for O’Quinn would look much more reasonable, but teams are expected to be tighter with their money during the 2018 offseason.

According to Basketball Insiders’ data on O’Quinn’s contract, his option decision is due seven days after the Knicks’ final game of 2017/18, so we should hear official word soon on his opt-out.

Enes Kanter Leaning Toward Declining Option?

April 12th, 2018 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

3:43pm: Kanter’s new agent Mark Bartelstein walked back his client’s comments a little this afternoon, telling Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link) that it’s too soon to say what will happen with Kanter.

“All the speculation with Enes is premature,” Bartelstein said. “There’s a ton of due diligence that has to be done. The season just ended. We’re not leaning one way or the other right now. We’ll go through that process over the next couple of months.

2:05pm: A year ago, Knicks center Enes Kanter was viewed as a lock to eventually exercise his player option for 2018/19, but a strong season in New York has changed the equation. Asked today about that $18.6MM option, Kanter told reporters that he’s leaning toward turning it down, per ESPN’s Ian Begley (Twitter link).

While Kanter is interested in becoming an unrestricted free agent, that doesn’t mean he wants to leave the Knicks. The big man said today that if he declines his option, his goal would be to sign a long-term deal to remain in New York.

Given the lack of cap room around the NBA this summer, Kanter probably wouldn’t have the necessary leverage to match – or exceed – $18.6MM as the starting salary on a multiyear contract. However, even if he takes a pay cut for the 2018/19 season, gaining long-term security could make it worthwhile. For instance, if Kanter could land a deal worth $50MM over four years, his salary for next season would decrease, but he’d be in line for an additional $30MM+ in overall guaranteed money — he and his agent will have to make an effort to gauge the market prior to July to see what sort of offer they could reasonably expect.

Kanter, the key incoming piece for the Knicks in the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder, averaged a double-double in 2017/18, posting 14.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG in just 25.8 minutes per contest. The former third overall pick stood out in a crowded Knicks frontcourt, beating out Kyle O’Quinn, Joakim Noah, and Willy Hernangomez (before he was traded) to make 71 starts at center.

The Knicks hold Kanter’s Bird rights, so they won’t need to use cap room or its mid-level exception if they want to sign him to a new contract this offseason.