The New York Knicks are expected to hire Leon Rose as their new president of basketball operations. The former NBA agent reportedly will have Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau on his coaching search list, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Although Mike Miller has done a good job as interim coach, Rose is expected to conduct a coaching search in the summer:
According to NBA insiders, ex-Knicks assistant Tom Thibodeau and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy are expected on Rose’s short list.
Thibodeau is a Creative Artist Agency client and has worked with Rose, who will leave his position as head of CAA’s basketball department. According to a source, Van Gundy likes Rose and the feeling is mutual.
The Knicks will miss the playoffs again this season. They entered Monday with a record of 17-37.
Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly began exploring the front office model of hiring a player agent shortly after firing Steve Mills. The Golden State Warriors under Bob Myers and the Los Angeles Lakers under Rob Pelinka have had success with the former agent model.
New York's roster is pretty flawed. Rose has to hire the right coach to lead this franchise moving forward. Both Van Gundy and Thibs have previously worked for the Knicks. They have the mentality and strong will to deal with New York, the fans and media.
We'll see if that type of mentality benefits either of them as the Knicks pursue their next head coach.
There are some people in league circles who believe becoming head coach of the Knicks is Thibodeau's dream job.
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