Mike Brown Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mike Brown Receiving Four-Year Deal From Knicks

July 5th, 2025 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Brown‘s new contract with the Knicks will cover four years, according to reports from Casey Powell (aka CP The Fanchise) of Knicks Fan TV and Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter links).

Powell suggests the deal will be in the range of $8-9MM annually, while Begley says it’ll come in slightly higher and will be worth $40MM in total value.

Word first broke on Wednesday that Brown was expected to become the Knicks’ next head coach, with a Friday report indicating that the two sides had verbally agreed on a deal that will be officially finalized early next week.

Brown was fired last season by the Kings during the first season of a three-year deal that paid him $8.5MM annually, so Sacramento will save some money via the set-off clause that applies to NBA head coaching contracts, notes Begley.

The Knicks, meanwhile, fired Tom Thibodeau with three years and $30MM left on his deal.

New York was one of just two teams to make a head coaching change this offseason, joining the Suns, who replaced Mike Budenholzer with Jordan Ott.

Three teams – the Kings (Doug Christie), Grizzlies (Tuomas Iisalo), and Nuggets (David Adelman) – retained their interim head coaches after making in-season changes. A fourth team, San Antonio, officially announced that Mitch Johnson would replace Gregg Popovich on a permanent basis after Johnson served as the Spurs’ head coach for most of 2025/26 while Popovich recovered from a stroke.

Knicks Notes: Brown, Exum, Ayton, Nori

July 4th, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Eli Cohen

Mike Brown has verbally agreed to a deal to become the head coach of the Knicks, according to Sam Amick of the Athletic (via Twitter), who adds that Brown is expected to officially sign his contract early next week.

In a look at what the two-time Coach of the Year will bring to the Knicks, ESPN’s Chris Herring points to a willingness to change up the rotation if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing. This marks a clear change from former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who had a reputation for being notoriously slow to change a lineup that don’t seem to be working.

Herring also believes that Brown’s time with the Kings, including a season in which they broke the league’s offensive efficiency record, bodes well for his work with a Knicks team that has clearly oriented itself around creating the most lethal offense possible.

According to Fred Katz of the Athletic, Brown’s greatest gift might be his ability to evolve as a coach. The offensive system he brought to Sacramento was entirely different from the one his teams in Cleveland deployed. Brown possesses a mind for detail, Katz writes, but he loves to bring in outside ideas and influences, whether that means relying on assistant coaches or taking parts of sets he has seen others run.

The Knicks are banking on the idea that his various experiences throughout his coaching journey can culminate in the ultimate success in New York.

We have more from the Knicks:

Dante Exum was considering the Knicks before eventually agreeing to re-sign with the Mavericks, writes SNY’s Ian Begley. That interest, along with their previously reported check-in on Ben Simmons, would indicate the Knicks might be looking for one more guard to fill out the roster. It also suggests they’re looking for a defensive-minded player to complement their two offensive-facing additions in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
According to Begley, some within the Knicks’ decision-making group viewed Deandre Ayton as a potentially good fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns, prior to Ayton agreeing to sign with the Lakers. Begley confirms ESPN’s reporting that feedback on Ayton coming out of Portland was encouraging, and adds that the Knicks were told good things about his leadership with the younger players on the Blazers. However, New York had no path to matching or exceeding the Lakers’ two-year, $16.6MM offer.
Within the same story, Begley notes that the Knicks were impressed by Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori‘s interview for the team’s head coaching vacancy, especially his thoughts on player production and workloads. The Knicks primarily considered candidates with previous head coaching experience, with Nori serving as the lone exception.
In case you missed it, Yabusele spoke about what appealed to him about the Knicks and why he accepted their contract offer.

Coaching Rumors: Knicks, Borrego, Shammgod, Magic, Mavs, More

July 2nd, 2025 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After being denied permission to speak to five NBA head coaches already under contract with rival teams, the Knicks shifted their focus to Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, with Jenkins falling behind after “projecting less enthusiasm for the job,” writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

The team spoke to other candidates, including James Borrego and Micah Nori, and Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms that South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley did, in fact, formally interview for the job as well. However, as Begley writes, the search was always expected to result in the Knicks hiring an experienced NBA head coach.

The Knicks ultimately decided Brown was their man in large part because they believe he’ll bring “leadership and collaboration” to the organization, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. Casey Powell (aka CP The Fanchise) of Knicks Fan TV (Twitter link) notes that the club is also confident in Brown’s ability to maximize the talent on the roster.

While Brown won’t be forced to retain any of the assistants who worked under Tom Thibodeau, the expectation is that a few will be back, according to Begley, who specifically identifies Rick Brunson, Darren Ermann, Mark Bryant, and Maurice Cheeks as strong candidates to remain in New York.

Brown is targeting Borrego for his lead assistant role, viewing him as an ideal offensive coordinator, Begley writes. However, as Marc Stein of The Stein Line notes (via Twitter), the Pelicans want to keep Borrego as their associate head coach and don’t necessarily have to let him leave for what would be a lateral move in terms of his title.

According to Stein (Twitter link), New Orleans previously denied permission to the Nuggets, who wanted to speak to Borrego about their lead assistant role under David Adelman.

Here are a few more coaching-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

As expected, Mavericks player development coach God Shammgod has reached a deal with the Magic to become an assistant on Jamahl Mosley‘s staff, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Rumors about Orlando’s interest in Shammgod, who had been in Dallas since 2016, had circulated since mid-June.
With Shammgod departing, keep an eye on Phil Handy and Mike Penberthy as possible candidates to join the Mavericks‘ staff under Jason Kidd, according to Stein (Twitter links). Both Handy and Penberthy were part of the Lakers’ staff alongside Kidd when Frank Vogel – Dallas’ new lead assistant – was the head coach in Los Angeles.
Omar Cooper Jr., the twin brother of former NBA guard Sharife Cooper and the son of Ace Bailey‘s agent Omar Cooper, is serving as a guest coach for the Jazz during Summer League, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Cooper Jr. is looking to get into coaching after wrapping up his college playing career at McNeese State this past season.
In announcing its 15-man roster for EuroBasket 2025, the Spanish national team confirmed that former Raptors assistant Sergio Scariolo will be stepping down from his role as Spain’s head coach after the event. BasketNews.com has the story, along with Spain’s roster, which includes Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama.

Mike Brown Considered Frontrunner For Knicks Job

July 1st, 2025 at 6:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings head coach Mike Brown is considered the favorite to become the Knicks‘ head coach, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

The New York Post reported on Monday that Brown would be the first candidate to receive a second interview. Brown has been in New York for the past two days, according to The Stein Line. They also report that the Knicks have been telling free agents since the market opened on Monday that their lengthy search to replace Tom Thibodeau is nearing an end.

However, Brown still needs a solid endorsement from Knicks owner James Dolan before he’ll get the job.

Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori and James Borrego are also known to have interviewed for the head coaching position. Jenkins was let go by the Grizzlies late in the regular season. Nori is one of the Timberwolves top assistants, while Borrego is New Orleans’ associate head coach after a stint as the Hornets head coach.

One scenario that the Knicks are considering is hiring Brown as their new head coach and adding Borrego as Brown’s top assistant.

The Stein Line has also hears that Rick Brunson, father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, is expected to remain part of the Knicks’ coaching staff, as well as some of Thibodeau’s other assistants.

Latest On Knicks’ Head Coaching Search

July 1st, 2025 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

2:29 pm: The Knicks have been telling potential free agent targets that they’re nearing a resolution in their coaching search, per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

8:54 am: Mike Brown‘s second interview for the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy will take place on Tuesday, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who reports (via Twitter) that team owner James Dolan will be part of that meeting.

As Begley observes, it’s common for a team’s owner to sit in on interviews during the late stages of a head coaching search, so Dolan’s involvement may suggest the Knicks are getting close to making a decision.

NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link) confirms that the Knicks’ interest in hiring Brown has “intensified,” though Begley cautions that it remains possible that other candidates could come in for second interviews. In particular, the club is considering bringing back Pelicans assistant James Borrego and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for second meetings, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

One scenario that has emerged as a possibility, according to Stein, is Borrego joining the Knicks as Brown’s top assistant if the former Kings head coach gets the job. As Begley notes (via Twitter), there would be some hurdles to clear in that scenario, since Borrego is already under contract as the associate head coach in New Orleans.

Outside of Brown, Borrego, and Nori, the only other candidate confirmed to have interviewed for the job was former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. The Knicks haven’t ruled out the possibility of interviewing him a second time, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.

Interestingly, Jeremiah Donati, the athletic director at the University of South Carolina, confirmed that the Knicks reached out to the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley to touch base about their head coaching position, per Talia Goodman of On3 Sports (Twitter link). That development was first reported by Knicks Fan TV (Substack link).

It’s unclear if Staley had a formal interview for the job, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. According to Edwards, she isn’t considered a finalist for the Knicks’ position, even though she “impressed” in their conversation.

Mike Brown Getting Second Interview For Knicks Head Coaching Job

June 30th, 2025 at 4:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks, who are still looking to fill their head coaching position, are bringing back Mike Brown for a second interview, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. He’s the first candidate to get a follow-up interview but there could be more, Bondy adds.

He’s considered a “strong candidate” to get the job, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who confirms that Brown is receiving a second interview.

Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori and James Borrego are also known to have interviewed for the head coaching position. Jenkins was let go by the Grizzlies late in the regular season. Nori is one of the Timberwolves top assistants, while Borrego is New Orleans’ associate head coach after a stint as the Hornets head coach.

Brown, who was fired by the Kings this past season, has been a head coach as far back as 2005, when Cleveland hired him. He had two head coaching stints with the Cavaliers, sandwiching a season with the Lakers. Brown was one of Steve Kerr’s top assistants with Golden State from 2016-22 before Sacramento hired him as its head coach.

The Kings had a 13-18 record when Brown was dismissed but the move didn’t produce the desired result, as Sacramento finished with a 40-42 mark.

The Knicks were rebuffed by numerous teams to interview their current coaches after they fired Tom Thibodeau despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

Brown reportedly has a close relationship with Knicks executive William Wesley, Bondy notes.

Atlantic Notes: Nets Draft, Celtics, Knicks, Broome

June 28th, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Nets‘ draft left fans with more questions than answers after they spent an NBA record five first-round picks in the same class, with the talents of some selections overlapping. Still, as Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily writes, one thing is for certain: the Nets made sure to value what they saw as high-character players during this process.

“I loved just how hard a worker he is,” general manager Sean Marks said of No. 8 overall pick Egor Demin. “I saw him up close and personal in his individual workouts and other workouts that we had here with the group, and was able to compare what we saw during the season to what we saw now, and the uptick and the improvement that we saw was pretty outstanding. So I know he’s a class act of a young man, but he’s also a real worker, and that’s exciting for me, when the guy’s going to put in the due diligence.”

Brooklyn’s brass didn’t see the class as overlapping as much as outsiders did. In particular, Marks expressed that Demin and No. 19 overall pick Nolan Traore could coexist.

“I think we’d love to see both of them play together, for sure,” Marks said of Demin and Traore. “I think we always look at it a little bit of best player available at that particular time … But, you know, I think we’ve got to be very careful penciling a player into being a certain position, or playing a certain way when they’re 19 years old.”

In a subscriber-only story covering similar ground, Brian Lewis of The New York Post describes Marks’ type as quick-processing, ball-moving play-makers.

“Where we’re going with this is, we’re trying to find a brand of basketball that not only we think translates to a competitive brand out there and it’s going to fit with the Brooklyn community,” Marks said, “But it’s also where the NBA is going: guys who can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions and make it hard on the defense.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics elected to trade back from No. 32 in the draft to obtain the Nos. 46 and 57 selections as well as two future second-round picks. “All the time we’re looking for the ability to get more assets in the future and still get a bunch of good players,” vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren said in explaining the decision, per MassLive’s Brian Robb. “We felt pretty confident that there’d be guys we liked lower in the draft and we had the ability to add a couple of really good future draft picks in addition to getting those guys. So, that’s what we did.”
While there is still uncertainty about where the Knicks stand in their head coaching search, Ian Begley of SNY reports Mike Brown made a strong impression and has garnered internal support. In the same story, Begley explores where the Knicks standing entering free agency, noting that they’ll have the taxpayer mid-level exception worth up to $5.7MM to offer free agents, as well as the veteran’s minimum.
By using a second-round pick to draft Johni Broome out of Auburn, the Sixers made a bet on a player who has been exceptional at every level of basketball he’s played, and one who should be a strong culture fit in Philadelphia, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes (subscriber link). “I would say my will to win and hating to lose,” Broome said of his biggest strength. “When you hate losing, you do whatever it takes. … If that’s owning up to your mistake or calling out one of your teammates’ mistakes, I think that’s what helps winning, when everybody’s bought in and everybody’s on the same page of wanting to win. I think that’s just where it comes from.”

Wolves Assistant Micah Nori Interviewing With Knicks

June 24th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori is the latest high-profile candidate to interview for the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Nori, 51, has been an NBA assistant since 2009 and came to Minnesota as lead assistant prior to the 2021/2022 season. He is best known for replacing Chris Finch as the team’s sideline coach during last year’s playoffs after Finch was injured in a collision with a player.

Nori recently interviewed for the Suns’ head coaching job before Jordan Ott was hired, and he was among the list of nine finalists for the position. He also had interviews with the Pistons and Cavaliers last summer.

Nori, who started his NBA career in Toronto and also spent time with Sacramento, Denver and Detroit, has established himself as one of the NBA’s top assistant coaches and has been viewed as a likely future head coach for several years. In a recent interview, Minnesota president of basketball operations Tim Connelly predicted that Nori would land a head coaching job soon.

Nori is the third known candidate to conduct a formal interview for the Knicks’ opening, joining former Kings coach Mike Brown and former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. Numerous reports indicate that New York is also monitoring Jason Kidd’s status in Dallas in case he doesn’t receive an extension this summer and tries to force his way out.

Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, who is headed to San Antonio to become associate head coach under Mitch Johnson, turned down an opportunity to interview with New York, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper suggests the Knicks’ pursuit of Sweeney is a sign that they recognize Kidd may be an unrealistic option.

Knicks Considering James Borrego In Head Coaching Search

June 23rd, 2025 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

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.

New York Notes: Toppin, Knicks’ Coaching Search, Nets’ Draft, Demin

June 21st, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ decision to sell cheaply on Obi Toppin two years ago is looking worse as he plays an important role for the Pacers in the NBA Finals, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.

After being selected with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, Toppin had three productive years in New York, but he didn’t appear to have a future while being stuck behind starting power forward Julius Randle. Winfield notes that Randle is now gone, having been traded to Minnesota in October, and Toppin is the type of athletic big man the Knicks need on their bench.

The return from Indiana for Toppin was meager: second-round picks in 2028 and 2029. He has blossomed with the Pacers, averaging 9.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22 playoff games with .497/.333/.694 shooting numbers. Winfield points out that he’s doing it in the exact role the Knicks weren’t sure he could handle, backing up a star power forward in Pascal Siakam.

Winfield also states that Knicks management made a habit of giving up on young talent throughout the Tom Thibodeau era, citing RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes as other examples. Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar and Ariel Hukporti were all added in last year’s draft and James Nnaji may be joining the team soon, but Winfield questions whether they’ll get a chance to prove themselves.

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks have interviewed Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown in their coaching search while keeping an eye on Jason Kidd‘s situation in Dallas, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Bondy suggests that Kidd’s relationship with the Mavericks could deteriorate if he doesn’t receive an extension, so New York hasn’t completely given up hope. A source tells Bondy that the Knicks haven’t requested permission to talk with Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, who no longer appears to be a priority after looking like an early favorite for the job.
Sources tell draft expert Rafael Barlowe of The NBA Big Board (subscriber link) that the Nets are “the favorite destination for a lot of prospects — and a lot of agents” (hat tip to Nets Daily). Barlowe explains that Brooklyn is popular because it’s a large market that offers exposure and endorsement opportunities, and there’s a chance for immediate playing time. There has been speculation that Ace Bailey has a desire to join the Nets, and Barlowe hears that Brooklyn is considering a move up into the top five.
In a separate Nets Daily story, Lucas Kaplan examines the fit of BYU guard Egor Demin, who has been rumored as a possible Nets draft pick.