The Minnesota Timberwolves made a bold decision when they announced former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau would be both their head coach and top executive prior to the 2016-17 NBA season.
But Thibodeau presided over a franchise that — despite reaching the playoffs in 2018 — would become enveloped in a bitter saga involving Jimmy Butler. Eventually, Thibs was fired 40 games into the 2018-19 campaign.
Although he has spent this year away from the game, Thibodeau feels he will be a strong candidate to land an NBA head coaching job next season (via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News):
Thibodeau is confident he’ll get a job next season and has even been asking around the league for advice on picking the best opportunity, according to sources. The Knicks, Nets and Rockets are expected to have the three highest-profile coaching gigs available. Keep an eye on the Pelicans, Bulls and Hawks. Then there’s the big question of whether Gregg Popovich is returning for another season in San Antonio. Our advice for Thibodeau, if he lands a job, would be to hire a couple assistants who can connect and serve as a bridge with younger players.
A move to New York might be in the cards for Thibodeau, though it is possible the Knicks give Mike Miller the chance to be their full-time head coach.
Perhaps Thibodeau will come back to Chicago now that the Bulls are under new leadership. While Thibodeau feuded with John Paxson and Gar Forman, it is possible new Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas views him as the kind of NBA coach that the group needs to turn things around.
It is still too soon to determine what head coaching jobs will became readily available in the offseason. After all, NBA teams are still trying to figure out whether they will play again this year.
All the same, Tom Thibodeau appears eager to coach again next year.
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