Report: Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka, and Finch in coaching search
They appear to be trying to find out if any coaches they like who already have jobs might be added to their list along with the ones who are currently available.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The Mavericks confirmed Thursday that a request was submitted and denied.
Advertisement
ESPN first reported on all three decisions and added later Wednesday that the Knicks had also been denied by Atlanta in a request to interview Hawks coach Quin Snyder.
Knicks president Leon Rose interviewed Kidd and Udoka in 2020 before hiring Thibodeau. Both also played for the Knicks, with Kidd ending his Hall of Fame career on the team that reached the 2013 playoffs — which was the Knicks' last appearance before Thibodeau's arrival.
Kidd led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Finch has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back trips to the West finals, and Udoka took a young Rockets team to the No. 2 seed in the West this season — so none of the organizations are interested in searching for a new coach.
Advertisement
Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka guided a young Houston Rockets squad to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season.
Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
There are plenty of potential candidates, some who just became available this season. The Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone, who led them to the 2023 NBA championship, in the final week of the regular season. The Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins, who guided them to a pair of 50-win seasons, and Sacramento fired Mike Brown — like Thibodeau a two-time NBA Coach of the Year — earlier in the season.
Thibodeau thanked the organization, players, coaches, and fans in a New York Times ad on Wednesday, saying the experience with the Knicks was 'something I will never forget.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Knicks' Jalen Brunson talks firing of Tom Thibodeau, what former coach has meant to his career
It's been more than a week since the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, and while the basketball world and players like Josh Hart have voiced their thoughts on the job Thibodeau has done for the team, we haven't heard from team captain Jalen Brunson. Brunson was very close to Thibodeau, with his father Rick Brunson working as Thibodeau's assistant with the Bulls, Timberwolves and Knicks. When the Knicks were ousted from the NBA Playoffs after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Brunson defended his coach when asked about Thibodeau's ability to get this team over the top. Advertisement However, the organization decided to go in a different direction and Brunson has finally spoken for the first time after the decision on the June 12 episode of the Roommates Show, his podcast with Hart. Both players spoke about the firing and what Thibodeau meant to them. 'We want to give a shoutout to Thibs, man, you know, especially for myself,' Hart started. 'He helped make me into the player I am. I had a lot of instability in the early part of my career and he gave me that stability and that opportunity to flourish as a player in the league, a starter in the league, so I'm always going to be forever grateful for him. "This is always a tough part of the NBA because you grow relationships not just on the court but off the court and personal relationships, so I always got love for him. It's always tough when there's a coaching change." Brunson, who was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and only had a coach change on him once when Rick Carlisle resigned to sign with the Pacers, so this is uncharted territory for the All-Star guard. Brunson chose to highlight what Thibodeau has done for his career since signing with New York. Advertisement 'This is my first firing. Obviously, I've known him my entire life, but I remember having conversations and moments with him in 8th grade when we moved to Chicago. And to see where he helped me become two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA. The things he's done for me individually, I'm so grateful for," Brunson said. "He had that confidence in me that I knew I had, but it's great to see someone push me to be better…. to have Thibs, and to do what he did for my career, I'm so grateful and thankful for. Not enough things can be said about what he's meant to myself and my career.' When both were asked if they had any inkling that the firing would happen or if Thibodeau was on the hot seat, Hart who has had multiple coaching changes in his eight-year career, put it best. "We had a really good year. It didn't end how we wanted it to end. Sometimes when the season doesn't end the way you expect it to, there's always changes. Whether that's coaches, players," Hart said. "Thibs is my sixth coach in eight years. The NBA coaching profession is tough. Whenever you don't finish the way you expect, there's always gonna be changes. That one was a tough one. There should be nothing but praise for him and his time in New York.' 'I agree. 100 percent,' Brunson responded. Advertisement Thibodeau joined the Knicks ahead of the 2019-20 season, and in five seasons, he amassed a 226-174 record in the regular season, going 24-23 in the playoffs. He coached the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons, had back-to-back 50-win seasons and took New York to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Whoever becomes the next coach of the Knicks will have big shoes to fill. "[Thibodeau] took that job when the Knicks were just buns," Hart, who was traded to the Knicks in 2023, said. "They were 20 wins. He got that job for five years, made the playoffs in four years, first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. He helped Knicks basketball go back to the top level in the league. He should get a lot of credit for the foundation that he built."
NBC Sports
32 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Thunder have been here before, down 2-1 in these playoffs, do they have another comeback in them?
INDIANAPOLIS — Oklahoma City has been here before. Just a month ago, the Thunder trailed the Nuggets 2-1 and had to win Game 4 on the road to stay in that series. They did it in a grinding, at times sloppy game, where Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins sparked a fourth-quarter run and comeback that gave OKC the win and showed they could win gritty, tough games. Indiana is a very different team — don't expect Game 4 of the NBA Finals to be a grinding and slow affair — but having done this before gives Oklahoma City confidence that it can do it again. 'We've been here before. Got to bounce back. Get the car back on the road,' Wallace said. 'Yeah, it feels a lot similar,' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added. 'Obviously losing Game 1 on a buzzer-beater, winning big Game 2, being up in Game 3 and losing the lead. There's a lot of similarities... 'But at the end of the day, we have to be who we are and who we've been all season. I think we got back to that in that series. If we want to give ourselves a chance in this series, it has to be the same thing.' Being themselves meant a couple of things to the Thunder. One was not turning the ball over, something they did 19 times in their Game 3 loss. Three of those were backcourt turnovers. 'Yeah, we turned the ball over at a high rate the last game,' Wallace said. 'We got to turn that over.' The Thunder also played more in isolation in Game 3 than they would have liked, with the assists and ball movement that had defined their run to the NBA Finals fading in the face of more intense and focused defensive pressure from the Pacers. 'I think we played on their terms more than we played on our terms of how we wanted the game to be and to flow,' Alex Caruso said.' I think that was apparent just with the runs that they went on when they played well.' A large part of disrupting the Thunder's flow and limiting their assists has been the impressive Pacers' transition defense. 'Some of it's been our transition, I think. I think we do a lot of damage there that we haven't gotten in this series so far,' Thunder coach Daigneault said. The Pacers have been here, too — they have led every team these playoffs by 2-1. They also won Game 4 in every round. Indiana needs to do that again on Friday night, or this will be a best-of-three series where Oklahoma City will have momentum and home court advantage. 'We're excited to play another game in front of our home crowd, approach this game the same way we approached yesterday,' Tyrese Haliburton said. 'Just control what we can. I think the biggest thing is just playing hard. If we can do that, we can figure everything out from there. 'There's no need to get super giddy or excited. There's still a lot of work to be done.' If the Pacers can do that work in Game 4 in front of their raucous home crowd, they will be in command of this series.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Clemson climbs ESPN's latest 2026 recruiting rankings as the hot recruiting run continues
Clemson football's 2026 recruiting class continues to climb the national ranks as ESPN bumped the Tigers up to No. 4 in its latest update, reflecting a strong June filled with key visits and commitments. The Tigers now boast 10 ESPN 300 commitments, keeping them firmly in the top tier of national recruiters. Leading the charge on offense is recent addition Leo Delaney, the top-rated offensive commit in the class according to ESPN. The offensive tackle ranks No. 75 overall and No. 11 at his position. He joins a deep group of highly rated linemen that includes Carter Scruggs, Grant Wise, Adam Guthrie, and Chancellor Barclay — all ESPN 300 prospects. With several veterans on track to graduate after the 2025 season, this group will play a vital role in reloading Clemson's offensive front for the future. Advertisement 'The Tigers are making sure they have the time to get the ball downfield by loading up along the offensive line,' ESPN's Craig Haubert noted. He also pointed to four-star quarterback Tait Reynolds, a dual-threat prospect out of Arizona, as someone who could eventually develop into a long-term answer behind center once Cade Klubnik's time at Clemson ends. While much of the class is built around offense, the Tigers have also landed a key defensive piece in in-state standout Kentavion Anderson. At roughly 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Anderson brings length and athleticism to the back end of the defense and is expected to be a versatile presence in the secondary. Clemson holds the No. 4 spot not only in ESPN's rankings, but also in the 247Sports Composite, with a No. 2 ranking from 247Sports and No. 3 from Rivals. On3 ranks the class No. 7 overall. With more decisions on the horizon and strong recruiting momentum, Clemson remains well-positioned to finish with one of the top classes in the country. Advertisement Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions. This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson continues to elevate in ESPN's 2026 recruiting rankings
