At the end of the 2017-18 NBA season, the New York Knicks fired head coach Jeff Hornacek after a 60-104 record in two seasons. As New York is rebuilding around Kristaps Porzingis who could potentially miss the 2018-19 season following a torn ACL injury, the team's next head coach will play a major role in developing their talent while recruiting free agents.
With the Knicks meeting with numerous head coaching candidates, President Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry met with former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt in Europe according to Marc Berman of New York Post:
Blatt is widely considered one of the best head coaches in European basketball history. However, when he made the jump to the NBA prior to the 2014-15 season, there have been mixed reviews about the 58-year-old. While Blatt was expected to coach Kyrie Irving, the expectations significantly changed when LeBron James signed and Kevin Love was acquired.
In 1.5 seasons with Cleveland, Blatt finished with an 83-40 record before the Cavaliers fired him for current head coach Tyronn Lue. Lue eventually led the Cavaliers to their first championship in franchise history after overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
With Blatt looking to make his return to the league, it will be interesting to see what ultimately happens in New York as they look to take another step in their rebuilding process.