New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Kidd, Coaching Search, Offseason, Thibodeau

June 13th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks‘ interest in reuniting with Jason Kidd, who played one season for them, this time as a head coach, has been well documented. But with Kidd under contract with the Mavericks, the likeliest pathway for New York to do so would be via trade, writes Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.

How exactly would such a trade work? Pincus suggests a deal that would see the Knicks sending out the 2026 Wizards’ protected first-round pick as well as top-four protected swap rights to their own 2026 first-rounder. Pincus compares the proposal to the Clippers trading a 2015 first-round pick to the Celtics in order to bring Doc Rivers into the fold, as well as the Bucks trading two second-round picks to the Nets to bring Kidd to Milwaukee.

The question for New York would ultimately be, with so few tradable assets available to them, would it make sense to use two valuable resources on a coach already under contract? Of course, if Dallas stands firm on its stance that Kidd isn’t available, the discussion may be moot.

We have more notes on the Knicks:

While the Knicks’ 2025 offseason revolved around reshaping and finalizing their core moving forward, the 2026 offseason will see them focused on adding crucial bench depth once they address the coaching vacancy, Yossi Gozlan writes for Third Apron (Substack link). In his offseason preview, Gozlan predicts the Knicks will operate above the first tax apron but below the second in order to maximize their limited flexibility. Given their limited ability to add a higher-salary player if they don’t move a key rotation piece, Gozlan suggests targeting young wings who might face roster crunches, such as the Rockets’ Cam Whitmore or Magic’s Jett Howard.
The Knicks will have formal interviews next week with Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown, two of their top head coaching candidates, reports James L. Edwards III for The Athletic. Edwards also writes that the Knicks may circle back on Kidd and Bulls’ head coach Billy Donovan, despite having their interview requests denied, confirming an ESPN report. The Knicks will also begin checking in on assistant coaches as they cast as wide a net as possible.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart reiterated their appreciation for Tom Thibodeau on the latest episode of The Roommates Show podcast, Jared Schwartz writes for The New York Post. This was the first time Brunson, who has known Thibodeau his whole life, has experienced his NBA coach being fired. “To have Thibs to do what he did for my career, I’m just so grateful and thankful for. Not enough things can be said about what he’s meant to myself, my career,” Brunson said. Hart, who has experienced six coaches in eight seasons, also expressed gratitude: “He helped make me into the player that I am. I had a lot of instability in the early part of my career, and he kind of gave me that stability and that opportunity to flourish as a player in the league, as a starter in the league. I’m always gonna be forever grateful for him.” The two teammates and friends added that Thibodeau deserves a lot of credit for the strong Knicks foundation that has been built over the last few years.
Former Knick Austin Rivers was less positive about his time under Thibodeau. “I’m not really a Thibs guy. I played for him, it wasn’t the best experience personally, didn’t treat me well at all,” Rivers said on a recent episode of his podcast Off Guard With Austin Rivers, via Alex Kirschenbaum of Athlon Sports. Rivers describes his first interaction with Thibodeau upon joining the team, saying, “Thibodeau comes up to me and says, ‘Hey man, excited for you to be here. I wanted Derrick [Rose], but you’ll do great…’ And he walked away.” Rivers’ grievances don’t end with the coach, though. He expressed frustration with how his trade was handled, saying, “They don’t do business the right way sometimes.”

Suns Engaged In KD Trade Talks With Rockets, Heat, Wolves

June 13th, 2025 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

With trade negotiations heating up ahead of the June 25 draft, the Rockets, Heat, and Timberwolves have been the teams most seriously engaged with the Suns in recent days about a potential deal for Kevin Durant, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday (Twitter video link).

“(The Suns have) had about six to eight teams reach out,” Charania said. “There’s been interest, there’s been some offers, there’s been some negotiations. But really in the last 24 to 48 hours, I’m told, the focus of the Suns’ conversations has been on a few of the teams: the Houston Rockets, the Miami Heat, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. I’m told those are the three teams right now where a lot of the focus for Durant lies.”

When Charania reported earlier this week that the Suns, Durant, and KD’s business partner and manager Rich Kleiman were sifting through potential trade scenarios, he mentioned those three clubs, along with the Knicks and Spurs, as possibilities for the superstar forward.

Since then, multiple reports from beat writers covering the Knicks have indicated New York isn’t pursuing Durant, while a report on Thursday suggested there’s growing skepticism about San Antonio acquiring the former MVP.

That doesn’t mean that Houston, Miami, and Minnesota are the only suitors still in the mix, however.

When John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (YouTube link) discussed the situation during a radio appearance on Thursday, he said he’s also keeping an eye on the Spurs, Raptors, and Clippers in addition to the Rockets, Heat, and Timberwolves, adding that there may be a couple other wild-card teams in play too. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst also mentioned the Clippers today as a possible Durant suitor.

Gambadoro also mentioned that he believes Durant prefers to end up with one of the Texas teams – San Antonio and Houston – though that sounds more like informed speculation than hard reporting.

Interestingly, both Charania and Gambadoro believe a trade could be consummated well in advance of the draft. Gambadoro said during Thursday’s Burns & Gambo show that he’s predicting a deal will occur at some point next week. Asked on Friday on McAfee’s show about that report, Charania concurred.

“You said a week. I think it could be even sooner than that,” Charania said. “I think there’s some motivation with some teams. Potentially even sooner than seven days. Maybe in the next few days we could get some Kevin Durant trade action.”

As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports points out, commissioner Adam Silver and the league office have typically discouraged teams from making (or at least leaking) mid-June blockbuster trades that would upstage the NBA Finals, so even though there appears to be traction on the Durant front, that’s a factor to consider when projecting a timeline for an agreement.

The NBA Finals could end on Monday at the earliest, with a potential Game 6 scheduled for Thursday (June 19) and Game 7 to be played next Sunday (June 22), if necessary.

Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Durant, Clippers, Knicks, Jerome

June 13th, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant said in February that he was “blindsided” when he learned that the Suns were discussing potential trades involving him without his knowledge, and sources tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst that there was some disagreement within the organization about how those talks were handled.

According to ESPN’s duo, that situation is one reason why Suns owner Mat Ishbia and new general manager Brian Gregory have spoken repeatedly about a desire for all of the team’s leaders to be in “alignment” going forward. It’s also why Durant and his manager Rich Kleiman are being kept in the loop during this summer’s trade talks.

Still, while the Suns would ideally like to find a deal that Durant is happy with, finding “alignment” with the star forward on that front is ultimately less important for the franchise than maximizing its return in any KD trade, as Bontemps and Windhorst observe. League sources who have spoken to ESPN believe Phoenix may have a hard time finding a package the front office will be satisfied with, though there’s still a sense a deal could get done before or during the draft.

Bontemps and Windhorst identify the Clippers as one potential dark-horse suitor to watch in the Durant sweepstakes, echoing an earlier report from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

Here are a few more highlights from that ESPN report:

Due in part to a lack of high-end free agents and teams with cap room, one source who spoke to ESPN predicted the draft will be busier than normal in terms of trades and might even be the summer’s “high point of activity.”
The Knicks were declined permission to speak to five head coaches currently under contract with rival teams, but there’s a belief that those initial denials may not be the end of the team’s pursuit of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and/or Bulls coach Billy Donovan, per Bontemps and Windhorst. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link) has heard similar rumblings, but he says Donovan “isn’t going anywhere” and is “in Chicago to stay.” We wrote more on Thursday about why New York may not be ready to move on from Kidd right away.
While there’s an expectation around the NBA that it may take the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome this summer, the Cavaliers are hopeful that he’ll be willing to re-sign in Cleveland for a little less than that, sources tell ESPN. With starting point guard Darius Garland coming off toe surgery, the Cavs may feel some added pressure to bring back Jerome, but the cost would be high, since the club projects to operate above the second tax apron and will face a substantial luxury tax bill.
In case you missed it, Bontemps and Windhorst also shared a handful of Bucks-related notes and rumors, which we rounded up in a separate story.

Trade Rumors: Celtics, Durant, Knicks, Pelicans, Spurs, Magic

June 12th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics won’t be actively looking to move Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, but they also don’t necessarily view either player as untouchable, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link).

“The primary focus, from my understanding, with the Celtics’ offseason has been Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, (and) Sam Hauser, their trade markets,” Charania said. “Now, are teams making big offers and calling about Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? 100 percent. The Celtics prefer not to trade them, from my understanding. But if they get a big offer, they have to look at everything.”

Asked by McAfee if it’s accurate to say that everyone except Jayson Tatum, who will spent most or all of the 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear, is theoretically in play, Charania replied, “Essentially.”

As has been reported repeatedly since Boston was eliminated from the playoffs last month, the club will be looking to reduce its luxury tax bill and get below the second tax apron in 2025/26, since Tatum’s injury figures to significantly reduce the odds of the Celtics seriously contending for another title next season.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:

Brian Windhorst said during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (YouTube link) that he thinks Kevin Durant “definitely” has interest in the Knicks as a potential landing spot. However, after Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reported on Wednesday that the Knicks aren’t expected to pursue Durant, Steve Popper of Newsday has echoed that report, citing a league source who says New York isn’t interested in making a deal for the star forward.
Within his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports says league sources continue to mention the Pelicans as a team with interest in moving up in the draft. According to O’Connor, multiple front office executives believe New Orleans, which controls the No. 7 overall pick, has interest in Rutgers’ Ace Bailey, who could be picked as early as No. 3, so Yahoo’s latest mock include a hypothetical trade between the Pelicans and Sixers.
The latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic also includes some sourced information related to potential trade scenarios. According to Vecenie, league sources believe the Spurs could move their No. 14 overall pick if a preferred target isn’t on the board and think the Magic will explore using at least one of their two first-rounders in a trade for offensive help.

Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown Reportedly Among Knicks’ Coaching Candidates

June 12th, 2025 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have reportedly been denied permission to speak to five head coaches currently employed by NBA teams, but their search for Tom Thibodeau‘s replacement isn’t entirely focused on candidates who already have head coaching jobs. Former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and former Kings coach Mike Brown are also said to be on New York’s radar.

Sam Amick of The Athletic cited league sources who say there’s an “increased Knicks focus” on Jenkins and Brown, while Stefan Bondy of The New York Post‘s list of potential candidates (subscription required), based on intel he has gathered, includes a “top contenders” tier that consists solely of Jenkins and Brown.

Jenkins, who was the head coach in Memphis from 2019-25, compiled a 250-214 (.539) record during that time and led the club to three playoff appearances — ’24/25 would have been a fourth, but he was fired with nine games left in the regular season.

Although Jenkins’ career postseason record of 9-14 is underwhelming and the Grizzlies were disappointed by his results this season, it’s worth noting that his ouster didn’t exactly jump-start this year’s team. The Grizzlies finished the regular season by going 4-5 under Tuomas Iisalo, then were swept out of the first round by Oklahoma City.

Brown, meanwhile, was dismissed by the Kings midway through the 2024/25 season after guiding the team to a 107-88 (.549) mark across two-and-a-half seasons, with one playoff appearance and one play-in exit. Brown, who also previously coached the Cavaliers and Lakers, earned Coach of the Year honors in 2009 and 2023.

As Amick observes, Brown interviewed for the Knicks’ head coaching position in 2020 before Thibodeau was hired, and league sources tell The Athletic he left a “very strong impression” on the club.

Here’s more on the Knicks and their head coaching vacancy:

After originally reporting that Michael Malone isn’t a candidate for the Knicks’ job, Bondy says it’s now not out of the question that the former Nuggets coach could get an interview. However, Malone remains a “long-shot” option, according to Bondy.
Although the Mavericks declined the Knicks’ request to speak to Jason Kidd, Bondy agrees with Newsday’s Steve Popper, who said on Wednesday that Dallas’ denial doesn’t necessarily spell the end of New York’s pursuit of Kidd. As Bondy explains, Kidd is believed to be seeking a contract extension from the Mavs — if he doesn’t get that new deal and New York is willing to offer him a long-term contract, Kidd could make things uncomfortable for his current team. Still, Bondy acknowledges there’s probably only a “small” chance of the situation playing out that way. One league source he spoke to was adamant that the Mavs won’t let Kidd go.
In a separate column for the Post, Bondy suggests Thibodeau’s dismissal was more about relationships than results and questions the statement put out by Leon Rose in which the Knicks’ president of basketball operations said the change was necessary because the team is “singularly focused on winning a championship.” No one in the organization, Bondy argues, was more “singularly focused on winning” than Thibodeau.

P.J. Tucker Announces He’s Not Retiring

June 11th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

P.J. Tucker barely played after joining the Knicks in March, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for retirement. The 40-year-old forward announced in an Instagram story on Wednesday that he plans to continue his career (Twitter link from New York Basketball).

Tucker blasted “uncredited sources” who apparently have been reporting that he’s about to retire and stated that he had to interrupt his vacation to “set the record straight.”

“Never have (I) mentioned retirement or even given any indication that may be a thing,” Tucker wrote. “I’m 40 years young 100% healthy, able, and will continue playing the game I’ve dedicated my life to… HOOPIN!!!!!!”

Tucker began this season with the Clippers after picking up an $11.54MM player option, but he reached an agreement to stay away from the team while his agent and team officials worked to find a trade.

Nothing happened until February 1 when he was sent to Utah as part of a four-player deal. He was moved to Toronto five days later in the five-team Jimmy Butler trade and remained inactive with the Raptors until they waived him at the end of February.

Tucker signed a 10-day contract with New York on March 10 and another one on March 20. Even though he only made one brief game appearance during that time, he was signed to a standard contract because Knicks officials liked the influence he had in the locker room.

Tucker wound up getting into three games during the regular season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per night. He made one four-minute appearance during the playoffs.

The Knicks hold a $3.5MM team option on Tucker for next season that must be exercised by June 29. Even if they pick it up, Tucker’s contract won’t become guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date of January 10, 2026.

Hawks, Bulls Deny Knicks’ Requests To Talk With Coaches

June 11th, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:50pm: The Bulls also denied a request from the Knicks to talk to head coach Billy Donovan, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter video link).

6:01pm: The Knicks are now 0-for-4 in their attempts to interview head coaches currently under contract with other teams, as Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Hawks “firmly denied” their request to speak with Quin Snyder (Twitter link).

Atlanta’s refusal comes after New York was shot down in its overtures to the Rockets’ Ime Udoka, the Timberwolves’ Chris Finch and the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd. Like the Hawks, those teams all refused to grant permission.

Snyder just completed his second full season in Atlanta, guiding the team to a 40-42 record and a loss in the play-in tournament. He’s 86-99 with the Hawks since taking over late in the 2022/23 season.

Snyder built a reputation as an elite coach during his eight seasons in Utah, compiling a 372-264 regular season mark and leading the team to the playoffs in six straight seasons. He coached in the All-Star Game in 2021.

Snyder received a five-year contract when Atlanta hired him in February of 2023. There’s no indication of how the Hawks’ recent front office shakeup will affect his job security, but former general manager Landry Fields offered a strong endorsement before he was fired in April. The decision to turn down the Knicks’ request suggests the Hawks’ stance hasn’t changed.

League sources tell Ian Begley of SNY that the Knicks’ efforts to speak with already-employed head coaches are simply “due diligence” to determine who might be available as the team casts a “wide net” to identify possible candidates. He states that the front office in no hurry to name a replacement for Tom Thibodeau and plans to target numerous former head coaches and current assistants.

Begley adds that the timing of the decision to fire Thibodeau had nothing to do with Johnnie Bryant — a former Knicks assistant and current Cavaliers assistant — being a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching vacancy. Bryant could still be a candidate in New York after Phoenix opted to hire Jordan Ott.

Knicks Reportedly Won’t Pursue Kevin Durant Trade

June 11th, 2025 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have been viewed as major players in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, but a league source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that New York won’t be pursuing the Suns star.

A report this morning from ESPN’s Shams Charania identified the Knicks as one of the teams that have expressed interest in acquiring Durant. He also mentioned the Rockets, Spurs, Heat and Timberwolves, but said other clubs have made inquiries as well. According to Charania, the Suns and Durant’s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, are reviewing trade scenarios with the expectation that talks will intensify before the first night of the draft.

If the Knicks have decided not to make an offer, it’s likely due to reluctance to break up a roster that just reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Durant will make $54.7MM next season, which is the last year of his current contract, and he’ll be looking for an extension with his next team.

To match salaries in a Durant trade, New York would either have to part with Karl-Anthony Towns, who is owed $53.1MM next year, or give up multiple rotation players. The Knicks made major changes last summer by trading for Towns and Mikal Bridges and may not be eager to shake up the roster again.

Durant’s age could also be a factor into the Knicks’ decision. He’ll turn 37 in September, and although he’s coming off another productive season — averaging 26.6 PPG while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43% from three-point range — he missed 20 games and his durability might become a greater issue as he gets older.

The Knicks are built around a team of relatively young veterans, with Towns and Josh Hart as the oldest rotation members at age 30, and they may not want to shorten their window as title contenders by giving up major assets to bring in Durant.

The Knicks heavily pursued Durant in free agency in 2019, when he was recovering from a torn Achilles. Bondy states that Durant’s father, Wayne, was pushing him to sign with New York at the time, but he opted for Brooklyn instead.

Suns, Durant Sifting Through Trade Scenarios

June 11th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns and Kevin Durant‘s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met multiple times over the past week and are sifting through trade scenarios, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

The Rockets, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks are among the teams that have expressed interest in trading for the 15-time All-Star forward.

Several other suitors beyond those five teams have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven-to-10 days, Charania notes. Talks are expected to escalate before the draft, which takes place in two weeks.

After a colossally disappointing season in which the Suns didn’t make the playoffs, there has been an expectation that Durant will be moved. The Suns engaged in trade talks involving Durant prior to February’s deadline and nearly traded him to Golden State, which seemingly caught Durant by surprise and was something he didn’t want at the time.

Matching salaries could be a challenge for some teams and draft capital could be key for the Suns, who desperately need to replenish their draft stock. The latter issue makes it preferable for a Durant deal to be in place over the next two weeks.

Durant has a $54.7MM salary next season, the last year of his current contract, and his desire for an extension could prove to be a critical factor in where he lands, says Charania.

Once he is traded, Durant will be eligible to sign a two-year contract extension on July 6 worth as much as $112MM. After a six-month waiting period, he could instead sign a two-year extension worth up to $124MM.

Knicks Denied Permission To Speak To Udoka, Finch, Kidd

June 11th, 2025 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

8:30 am: The Knicks asked for the Mavericks’ permission to speak to Kidd and, as expected, were turned down by Dallas as well, according to Stein (Twitter link).

For what it’s worth, Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) has heard that some people in the Knicks’ organization believe the “first no” from the Mavs doesn’t necessarily spell the end of New York’s pursuit of Kidd.

7:56 am: The Knicks formally requested permission to speak to Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, but were denied on both counts, according to reports.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) first reported that the Knicks’ request to Houston had been turned down, while longtime New York radio and podcast host Mike Francesa (Twitter link) was first to say that the Timberwolves declined the Knicks’ request to speak to Finch. Shams Charania of ESPN subsequently confirmed both reports.

Marc Stein wrote last week that the Knicks had interest in Udoka but would almost certainly be rebuffed by the Rockets if they sought permission to talk to him. New York’s interest in Finch was initially reported last week by Begley.

Udoka, who was hired by the Rockets following three straight seasons of 22 or fewer wins, has helped turn things around in Houston, leading the team to a 41-41 record last season and a 52-30 mark – along with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference – this past year. Finch, meanwhile, has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Finals.

Neither team was likely to be enthusiastic about letting the Knicks poach a successful head coach who remains under contract.

It sounds like that will likely be the case for the Mavericks as well, as multiple reports have suggested that Dallas is expected to spurn the Knicks’ advances if New York seeks permission to speak to Jason Kidd. Charania confirms as much, citing sources who say the Mavs would decline the Knicks’ request if it comes (it hadn’t as of Tuesday night).

Based on what we know, it has been an unusual coaching search so far for the Knicks, who have only really been linked to candidates who already have head coaching jobs. It remains possible the club will request permission to speak to other head coaches currently employed by NBA teams, Charania notes.

Among coaches who aren’t presently employed, Taylor Jenkins is one name that people around the league think the Knicks will consider, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Jenkins was let go by the Grizzlies prior to the end of the regular season.

The Knicks are seeking a replacement for Tom Thibodeau, who took out a full-page ad in the New York Times on Wednesday thanking the fans, his players, and his coaching staff for his experience in New York, as Steve Popper of Newsday relays (via Twitter).

“To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you,” Thibodeau wrote. “When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that dreams became a reality. Thank you to our players and coaching staff who gave everything they had, and to everyone who makes this franchise special. I am proud of everything we accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and this year’s run to the Eastern Conference finals — our first in 25 years.

“And to the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one. Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget.”