In the days since they fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks have made somewhat of a mockery of themselves, trying and failing to secure permission to interview several active head coaches around the league, including Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks and Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets. All of this called into question whether the Knicks actually had a plan when they fired Thibodeau, or if they made an impulsive decision in the aftermath of their playoff loss.

Recently, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who defeated Thibodeau and the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, spoke on why he doesn't have an issue with the Knicks' unorthodox method of trying to poach active coaches from their teams.

“Why would there be an issue about having interest in great coaches?” wondered Carlisle, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

The Knicks have also inquired to the Atlanta Hawks about the availability of Quin Snyder and were informed that there was none, per Shams Charania of ESPN. New York additionally had contact with the Chicago Bulls regarding Billy Donovan.

A strange decision for the Knicks

Nov 27, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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While firing Thibodeau in some respects could be rationalized due to the Knicks' sometimes questionable playoff rotations and tendency to burn their starters out during the regular season, it remains unclear why New York opted to make the move if they didn't have a backup option in mind, which it certainly appears they don't at the current juncture.

Many have tied the Knicks to former assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, who previously worked under Thibodeau and is now on the Cleveland Cavaliers' staff. There have also been murmurings from fans about the possibility of teaming up with a recently fired NBA head coach like Michael Malone or Taylor Jenkins.

However, it currently looks like the Knicks might just cycle through every active head coach in the NBA and see if any are willing to give them an interview.

One has to wonder how Knicks players like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns feel about this unorthodox method of coach searching.