The New York Knicks are planning to meet the former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, and the former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins next week for their head coach position, ESPN said on Saturday.
The meetings will mark the first stage of the official interviews for the work of the Knicks, and others could come. Brown interviewed for the Knicks position in 2020 and made a strong impression before New York started Tom Thibodeau.
Earlier this week, several teams postponed the Knicks in their search for head coach, including Dallas Mavericks, who rejected New York’s request to speak on Wednesday with Jason Kidd, sources told ESPN.
Kidd joined the IME Udoka of the Houston and Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves as trainers whose teams have denied the authorization to interview with New York, confirmed sources. Sny first pointed out the denial of the Rockets of the Knicks request, and the host of Podcast Mike Francesa first pointed out the refusal of the Timberwolves.
In addition, the Knicks asked to speak with the Hawks of Atlanta Hawks Quin Snyder but were firmly refused, sources told ESPN. Snyder ended his third season in Atlanta.
The Knicks are looking for a new head coach after having dismissed Thibodeau last week in a surprising decision after having led the team to the final of the Eastern Conference for the first time in 25 years.
Brown was the unanimous choice for the NBA coach of the NBA year in his first season with the Kings in 2022-23, when he helped Sacramento to end the longest drought in the playoff in the history of the NBA at 16 seasons. Brown managed a 107-88 file in two seasons and more in Sacramento with a record of victories during his two seasons before being pulled less than halfway through his third season.
Previously, he had two coach sequences in Cleveland and had a season more as a Lakers coach. He has a career record of 455-304 and made the playoffs in seven of his nine complete seasons. He won the year-old coach twice, also obtaining the price in Cleveland in 2008-2009.
Jenkins, who was dismissed in March, has been a coach of the Grizzlies since 2019-2020 – the same season JA Morant was appointed recruit of the year. Grizzlies have played three appearances in the playoffs with Jenkins, with an eliminatory series victory.
