Knicks Considering James Borrego In Head Coaching Search
James Borrego could become a target in the Knicks‘ ongoing search for their next head coach, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who hears the team has “tossed around” the idea of speaking with the veteran coach.
Borrego, 47, has been an assistant to Willie Green with the Pelicans for the past two seasons. He previously spent four years as the head coach in Charlotte, compiling a 138-163 record and winning 43 games in his final season. Edwards notes that Borrego is a client of CAA, the agency formerly run by team president Leon Rose, and he has built a strong reputation for “offensive creativity and analytics-forward approach.”
Borrego has worked in the league since 2010, spending time as an assistant coach with the Hornets, Magic and Spurs before getting the head coaching opportunity. He also served as interim head coach in Orlando during the 2014/15 season, compiling a 10-20 record in 30 games.
Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown appear to be the current front-runners for the job after interviewing with the Knicks last week, Edwards adds, but he states that the team’s interest in Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is still worth monitoring. He notes that Kidd hasn’t received an extension in Dallas, in contrast with two other coaches New York requested permission to interview. Ime Udoka agreed to a long-term extension with the Rockets on Thursday, while Billy Donovan is reportedly working on an extension with the Bulls.
Edwards still considers Kidd to be a “long shot” to join the Knicks, even though changes are being made to his coaching staff. Edwards confirms that none of Kidd’s assistants were given extensions after the team reached the NBA Finals last season, and Sean Sweeney is leaving to become the associate head coach in San Antonio. Contracts for assistants Jared Dudley and God Shammgod will expire at the end of the month, and they have both received interest from other teams, sources tell Edwards.
Spurs To Hire Mavs Assistant Sweeney As Associate Head Coach
Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney has agreed to become the associate head coach of the Spurs under Mitch Johnson, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets. The Spurs’ interest in Sweeney was previously reported by Marc Stein.
Sweeney has been an assistant under Jason Kidd with the Nets and Bucks as well as the Mavericks. They’ll now lose him to an up-and-coming division rival.
Sweeney’s name has frequently popped up when head coaching jobs have come open but he has yet to land one of those coveted positions. He most recently interviewed for the Suns head coaching job.
Stein also reports that another Mavericks assistant, Jared Dudley, is being pursued by the Grizzlies and Cavaliers (Twitter link). According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, the Mavericks opted not to extend the contracts of their assistant coaches after their 2024 run to the NBA Finals (Twitter link). That is apparently a contributing factor in those assistants seeking other jobs.
Dallas could try to convince former Lakers and Suns coach Frank Vogel, who is now a consultant to the organization, to take Sweeney’s spot, according to Stein (Twitter link). However, Vogel apparently is comfortable in his consultant’s role as he awaits another head coaching opportunity.
Another assistant, God Shammgod, is drawing interest from the Magic, Stein adds (Twitter link).
Coaching Rumors: Dudley, Bryant, Cavs, Sweeney, Ivey, More
Memphis and Phoenix have already been linked to Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley this offseason. The Cavaliers have also expressed interest in hiring Dudley, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype observes, Cleveland has multiple coaching openings after assistants Jordan Ott, DeMarre Caroll and Bryan Tibaldi got new jobs. The organization’s G League coach, Chris Darnell, also landed a new position in Sacramento.
In addition to confirming Cleveland’s interest in Dudley, Scotto adds former Cavaliers forward Jawad Williams as another name to monitor. Williams has been an assistant coach and director of player development with the Kings since 2023.
Cleveland’s top assistant, Johnnie Bryant, was a finalist for Phoenix’s head coaching job alongside Ott. Bryant is expected to stay with the Cavs next season, according to Scotto.
Here are a few more coaching rumors from around the NBA:
- The Spurs remain in pursuit of Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, league sources tell Stein. Sweeney is Jason Kidd‘s top assistant in Dallas and would have a similar role on Mitch Johnson‘s staff in San Antonio if he’s hired away, Stein reports. Sweeney has interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs in recent years, including Phoenix’s vacancy, which ultimately went to Ott.
- According to Stein, “multiple teams” — including the Spurs — have expressed interest in Rockets assistant Royal Ivey this offseason, but the former NBA guard is expected to remain in Houston. Ivey, who interviewed for Phoenix’s top job and coached South Sudan’s national team during the 2024 Olympics, has also drawn interest from the Grizzlies, Scotto reports. In addition to the previously reported names, Heat assistant Wayne Ellington is another candidate to join the Grizzlies’ staff, Scotto adds.
- The Pelicans are believed to be looking for an assistant coach who specializes in player development after Dan Geriot left New Orleans to take the head coaching job at Iona, according to Scotto.
Grizzlies Notes: Trade, Finances, Caldwell-Pope, Coaching Staff
In trading Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies moved on from a player who is possibly the best shooter in franchise history in a deal that has sweeping implications for the organization, writes Damichael Cole for Memphis Commercial Appeal. In addition to his offensive workload, Bane had also assumed a prominent leadership role in Memphis in recent years.
Despite moving Bane for a pick-heavy trade package, the Grizzlies aren’t expected to go into rebuild mode, Cole writes. Those picks will likely be used in trades, whether to bring in more talent or to clear cap room to help renegotiate Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s contract.
In the meantime, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will help shore up the perimeter defense around Ja Morant. While the shot creation will take a hit with the loss of Bane, Caldwell-Pope should still be a helpful floor spacer, despite coming off a down year with the Magic.
We have more notes from the Grizzlies:
- Grizzlies fans shouldn’t be shocked if Cole Anthony is moved in a subsequent trade, as his fit with high-end backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is questionable, writes Spotrac’s Keith Smith. While the trade will provide long-term financial flexibility for Memphis, it eats into the team’s ability to create cap space this summer, Smith notes, especially given the salary slot for the newly acquired 16th pick in the 2025 draft.
- Caldwell-Pope’s durability could be a valuable asset for a Grizzlies team that has struggled to keep its best players on the floor, writes Jonah Dylan for Memphis Commercial Appeal. Memphis’ new wing has never played fewer than 67 games in a season over his 12-year career. He also brings championship experience to a team that has struggled to make good on its potential in previous playoff runs.
- The Grizzlies are searching for a new top assistant for head coach Tuomas Iisalo‘s coaching staff, writes Marc Stein for The Stein Line (Substack link). Names being considered include Adrian Griffin, Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley, and Magic assistant Dale Osbourne.
Fischer’s Latest: Raptors, Maluach, Barrett, Suns, Triano
The Raptors are among the teams who “highly value” Duke center Khaman Maluach ahead of this month’s NBA Draft, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, it remains to be seen if the 7’2″ big man will be available at No. 9, which is the lottery pick Toronto currently controls.
If Maluach — who is ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s big board — is unavailable, rival teams have gotten the impression the Raptors might target a different center, Fischer writes. For what it’s worth, Derik Queen (No. 13), Joan Beringer (No. 15) and Thomas Sorber (No. 18) are the next three centers on ESPN’s board.
Here are a few more items of interest from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:
- As we relayed on Friday evening, Fischer pointed to Raptors wing RJ Barrett as a potential salary-matching piece if Toronto decides to make a play for Kevin Durant. Citing sources, Fischer also confirms a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype stating that Barrett’s name came up in the Brandon Ingram trade talks between the Pelicans and Raptors. Toronto ultimately acquired Ingram in February by sending New Orleans Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-rounder.
- New head coach Jordan Ott intends to meet with the Suns‘ current assistants in the coming days, according to Fischer, who says there was a “strong belief” during the search process that Phoenix would ask associate head coach David Fizdale to remain on staff under the new hire. However, it’s unclear if Fizdale will be amenable to that arrangement after receiving multiple interviews for the head coaching job. Cavaliers assistant DeMarre Carroll — who has worked with Ott on three different teams — and Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley are also viewed as candidates to join Ott’s staff, Fischer writes.
- Following up on a report from his Stein Line colleague Marc Stein, Fischer hears former Suns and Raptors head coach Jay Triano is finalizing a contract to join the Mavericks as an assistant under Jason Kidd. The Knicks are interested in speaking to Kidd for their coaching vacancy, though Dallas would have to grant New York permission for that to happen.
Knicks Expected To Request Permission To Talk To Mavs’ Kidd
The Knicks, who have a newly created head coaching vacancy after parting ways with Tom Thibodeau earlier this week, are expected to ask the Mavericks for permission to speak to Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein, who identified Kidd on Wednesday as a potential target for the Knicks, says sources have described New York’s interest in the Mavs coach as “serious,” adding that some people in coaching circles believe he’s the Knicks’ top target to replace Thibodeau.
The Knicks were also said to be interested in Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, but multiple reporters – including Stein – have stated that Houston has no interest in granting New York permission to speak to Udoka. Stein hasn’t been able to confirm if the Mavs would take a similar position with Kidd.
Kidd was initially hired by former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in 2021, a little before Nico Harrison came aboard as the team’s head of basketball operations. Given that Cuban is no longer running the show in Dallas and Harrison didn’t hire Kidd himself, it’s possible the Mavs wouldn’t be as attached to him as the Rockets are to Udoka.
Kidd signed a contract extension with the Mavericks in May of 2024. According to Stein, that deal tacked on two years to Kidd’s previous contract, which would’ve expired at the end of 2024/25.
In the past, there have been instances where a team gave up draft compensation in order to hire a head coach away from another franchise — in fact, as Stein notes, that has happened before with Kidd, as the Bucks sent a pair of second-rounders to hire him away from the Nets in 2014. It remains to be seen whether the Knicks would be willing to take a similar route to hire Kidd.
Although Kidd has spoken about how he wasn’t involved in the unpopular decision to trade Luka Doncic in February, he’s believed to still be happy in Dallas and is excited about the opportunity to coach Cooper Flagg, according to Stein. Kidd also has strong relationships with current Mavs stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
Even if Kidd ends up staying put, the Mavs’ coaching staff seems likely to undergo some changes this offseason. Assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley both received consideration in Phoenix’s coaching search, according to Stein, who reports that the Spurs have expressed interest in trying to hire Sweeney as an assistant, while the Grizzlies recently spoke to Dudley about a role on their staff. Both San Antonio (Mitch Johnson) and Memphis (Tuomas Iisalo) have first-time head coaches who were promoted during the 2024/25 season and will be entering their first full seasons as head coaches in ’25/26.
The Mavs already lost one key assistant – Alex Jensen – earlier this year, when he agreed to become the new head coach at the University of Utah. Stein hears that Dallas has targeted former NBA head coach Jay Triano to replace Jensen, though Triano is believed to be receiving interest from other NBA teams as well.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Kuminga, Suns, Jones, Williamson, Nowitzki
Jonathan Kuminga‘s role in the playoffs will be closely watched around the league as he heads into restricted free agency, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report (Substack link).
Kuminga never entered the game in the Warriors‘ play-in victory over Memphis on Tuesday. It’s expected that Kuminga will have at least a limited role in the first-round series against the Rockets as Golden State tries to combat Houston’s athleticism.
Coach Steve Kerr has stated publicly that the combination of Kuminga and Jimmy Butler at the forward spots hasn’t worked well due to spacing issues — both are subpar three-point shooters. The coaching staff had hoped that Kuminga might be further along in developing his play-making skills.
The front office and Kuminga couldn’t meet his asking price during rookie scale extension talks. He was seeking more than $30MM annually. The Nets are a potential suitor with enough cap space to give Kuminga a lucrative contract, but a sign-and-trade with another team could be a potential option this summer.
Here’s more from the latest Stein Line round-up from Stein and Fischer:
- The Suns are unlikely to pursue another veteran coach after Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer lasted just one season apiece. However, Pelicans coach Willie Green is a potential candidate if new New Orleans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars doesn’t retain Green. Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey and Mavericks assistants Jared Dudley and Sean Sweeney could also be in the mix, Stein and Fischer confirm. Those names were all previously reported.
- It’s not a certainty Suns top executive James Jones will hold onto his job. Owner Mat Ishbia could make a change in the front office before a new head coach is hired, Stein and Fischer note.
- Dumars will take his time before deciding whether he’ll look to shop oft-injured franchise player Zion Williamson. There’s some skepticism around the NBA that the Pelicans will continue to ride with Williamson as their cornerstone piece.
- The Pelicans‘ decision to hire Dumars a day after David Griffin was let go and the Kings’ same-day hiring of Scott Perry to replace Monte McNair have both faced scrutiny around the league, with sources wondering why the teams didn’t conduct more thorough searches, Stein and Fischer say. Dumars was also said to be high on Sacramento’s list.
- Dirk Nowitzki has an office at the Mavericks‘ practice facility but he’s rarely there, which speaks to his distance from the Mavericks current ownership group and general manager Nico Harrison. Nowitzki was named a special advisor to former majority owner Mark Cuban, who no longer has much say in personnel decisions, including the blockbuster Luka Doncic deal.
Suns Rumors: Budenholzer, Beal, Booker, Durant, Coaching Candidates
Detailing some of the issues that led to Mike Budenholzer‘s ouster in Phoenix, NBA insider Chris Haynes (YouTube link) reports that Budenholzer told Bradley Beal earlier in the season that he wanted him to play more like Jrue Holiday.
That was “not well-received” by the three-time All-Star, Haynes says, and Phoenix-based insider John Gambadoro confirms as much. According to Gambadoro (Twitter link), Beal responded by telling Budenholzer, “Don’t ever disrespect me like that. Don’t ever tell me to play like another player.”
Communication with his players was a recurring issue for Budenholzer in Phoenix, per Haynes, who says the veteran head coach also butted heads with Jusuf Nurkic by criticizing his screening ability and telling him he’s a “bad teammate.” Haynes previously reported that Budenholzer told Devin Booker to “tone it down vocally” during games and film sessions, which ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirms.
Booker began speaking to reporters more late in the season about the importance of his “voice,” which was intentional, sources tell ESPN. As Windhorst explains, Booker appeared to be sending a message to a coach on his way out and making it clear he’ll have more say going forward.
“[I need] to be a leader and use my voice more,” Booker said last week. Asked if he was referring to speaking to teammates, coaches, or management, the star guard added, “Everybody.”
Here’s more out of Phoenix:
- The Suns have privately acknowledged they made a mistake by not involving Kevin Durant and his manager/agent Rich Kleiman when they explored trade possibilities involving Durant prior to February’s deadline, Windhorst writes. The front office wanted to keep discussions closed like Dallas did with Luka Doncic, Windhorst explains, but word leaked after the Suns had to talk to possible third-team facilitators. All parties will be involved in that process during the offseason, with Kleiman planning to travel to Phoenix this week to have discussions with the Suns, sources tell ESPN.
- While it may be a challenge for the Suns to find an appealing trade with a team willing to extend Durant, it’s possible there will be potential suitors who are OK with taking on the risk of acquiring the star forward as a one-year rental, says Windhorst. “Durant is a top-three name in this league,” a high-ranking NBA official told ESPN. “I can see a team who’d love to have him for a season just to sell tickets.”
- Booker will be eligible this season for a two-year, maximum-salary extension and the expectation is that the Suns will put that offer on the table, sources tell ESPN. Windhorst refers to that potential deal – which would lock up Booker through 2029/30 – as being worth $149.8MM, but that’s just a projection for now, based on the cap increasing by the maximum 10% in each of the next four seasons.
- After letting go of former head coach Monty Williams, Suns owner Mat Ishbia was “very focused” on hiring a replacement with a championship on his résumé, which was a major factor in the team choosing Frank Vogel in 2023 and Budenholzer in 2024, Windhorst writes. This time around, the team may prioritize a candidate who is better suited to build relationships with players, according to Windhorst, who hears from sources that Ishbia will be paying former Suns coaches about $18MM next season.
- According to Haynes (YouTube link), the Suns are expected to “look into and evaluate” the following head coaching candidates as they decide who they want to try to interview: former Kings coach Mike Brown, current Pelicans coach Willie Green, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, Mavericks assistants Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, their own assistant David Fizdale, and former Suns assistant (and current BYU head coach) Kevin Young. That may not be a comprehensive list of candidates for the job.
- In a pair of stories for GoPHNX.com, Gerald Bourguet takes a closer look at why Budenholzer was fired and lists 10 potential candidates to replace him.
Mavericks Notes: Lively, Irving, Dudley, Losing Streak
Mavericks center Dereck Lively suffered a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Denver, causing him to exit the game after just four minutes. X-rays on Lively’s ankle were negative, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), but a return timeline has yet to be established for the second-year big man.
Lively and Kyrie Irving, who is dealing with a bulging disc in his back, were both sidelined for Wednesday’s loss in New Orleans, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- Speaking of Irving, one of the people he’s been leaning on for advice for the back issue is assistant coach Jared Dudley, a longtime former player who dealt with a back problem during his career. “I had a back injury, and mine was more severe; I had back surgery,” Dudley told Grant Afseth and Rashad Miller of DallasHoopsJournal.com (Substack link). “Kyrie’s injury is less serious than mine, but with any back injury, it’s usually the nerve that’s affected. There’s a technique called nerve gliding that helps the nerve get back on track. Kyrie will need to do that and also follow a core regimen to keep everything stable. He’s already someone who follows a routine, so it’s just about continuing that.”
- The Mavs dropped their third straight game on Wednesday, losing to the lowly Pelicans in controversial fashion, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Trailing by one point with 15 seconds remaining, Dallas forced Jordan Hawkins into a turnover and had a fast break opportunity. With about five seconds left, Spencer Dinwiddie‘s layup attempt hit the backboard and then was goaltended by Trey Murphy, but the officials didn’t call it (YouTube link). The NBA’s last two-minute report acknowledged that the referees missed the call, tweets MacMahon.
- In a radio appearance on 96.7 The Ticket, Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said the team was unlikely to file a protest for the loss, relays Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “You can do an appeal but if you do it, you have to spend some money,” Harrison said. “It might make you feel good, but it’s not going to change the outcome. Refs make mistakes. It’s frustrating. … It is what it is. You have to move on to the next game.” Marc Stein confirms (via Twitter) that the Mavs will not file an official protest with the league.
Southwest Notes: Dudley, Lawson, Popovich, Hawkins
Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley has made no secret of the fact that he’s hoping to one day serve as a head coach in the league, per Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints (Twitter video link).
“I want to head coach, that’s my dream and ambition is to be able to do that,” Dudley said. “But at the same time as you can have that, some us aren’t J.J. Redick and get to go right away. I’ve got to be able to do two, three years, four or five years as an assistant. We all have different years, and my time will come later on. My time will eventually come.”
Redick, a one-time former Maverick, took over as the Lakers’ head coach this offseason without any assistant coach experience at the NBA or college level.
Dudley, a 14-year combo forward as a pro, has served as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd since the 2021/22 season. During that window, the Mavericks have appeared in a pair of Western Conference Finals and one NBA Finals. Currently, Dudley is the head coach of the Mavs’ Summer League squad.
There’s more out of the Southwest:
- High-flying Mavericks wing A.J. Lawson is looking to show he belongs in the league as a regular rotation player, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavericks.com. Though he’s now on a standard contract, Lawson is still trying to prove his mettle on the club’s Summer League team. “The emphasis for me is definitely going to be defending,” Lawson said of his focus this summer. “I want to show I can defend one through four (point guards to power forwards). And also to be able to knock down the open shot. Everybody knows I got speed.”
- Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich discussed San Antonio’s offseason roster additions Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes in a courtside conversation with ESPN’s Doris Burke and Mark Jones (YouTube video link). “I think [Paul’s] going to teach everybody a whole lot better than I did,” Popovich said. “Having he and Harrison come into the fold at this stage in their career is really wonderful for the youth that we have.” Popovich also raved about No. 4 draft pick Stephon Castle: “I love his seriousness for such a young kid. I love his pace – you see his expression never changes – he doesn’t go too fast, doesn’t go too slow. He reads the situations. The more minutes he gets, the better he is going to be. He seeks contact, he is an excellent defender and he makes wonderful decisions.”
- Second-year Pelicans shooting guard Jordan Hawkins, the No. 14 pick out of UConn in 2023, knows exactly where he wants to improve his game this offseason, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Definitely the defensive end,” Hawkins said. “I think that’s what held me back a little bit. Not being able to guard. So I think my big focus is going to be on guarding. Trying to guard wings. Trying to get bigger. Shooting. Being a 40% three-point shooter for our team. We have guys who can penetrate, get to the hoop. I just have to be able to knock shots down.”