The New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, and they are reportedly eyeing some big names to replace him, who aren’t currently available. NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the Knicks are interested in the Dallas Mavericks‘ Jason Kidd and the Houston Rockets‘ Ime Udoka.
“Two head coaches who are not currently available but said to interest the Knicks, according to league sources, are Dallas’ Jason Kidd and Houston’s Ime Udoka. One source with knowledge of the Rockets’ thinking told The Stein Line categorically that permission to speak with Udoka would be rejected if the Knicks requested it.
“A similar response would be expected from the Mavericks, but a read on their position as conclusive as Houston’s could not be immediately confirmed Tuesday night. Kidd has two seasons left on a contract extension he received during last season’s playoffs with the Mavericks in the midst of a run to the NBA Finals and with the Los Angeles Lakers expected to show interest in hiring him to replace Darvin Ham.
“Kidd was interviewed for the Knicks’ post during the 2020 offseason before Thibodeau was hired. He also remains close to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is oft-described as a potential Knicks trade target should Antetokounmpo ever decide to push for a move.”
The Giannis Antetokounmpo angle is quite an interesting one here. Kidd was Antetokounmpo’s head coach on the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2018, and the two have a good relationship. Perhaps hiring him as head coach would make the Knicks the superstar’s preferred landing spot.
It’s unclear if the Mavericks would be willing to part ways with Kidd, though. He took them to the NBA Finals in 2024 and has done a pretty good coaching job, for the most part.
The Mavericks missed the playoffs this year, but that was down to an injury crisis and the Luka Doncic trade. It would have been interesting to see what Kidd could have pulled off with this new group.
As for Udoka, well, the Rockets unsurprisingly have no interest in letting him leave. They had won 42 games combined in the two seasons before he arrived, and he completely changed their fortunes.
The Rockets went 41-41 in 2023-24, Udoka’s first season. He then led them to the second seed in the West this season with a 52-30 record. Udoka has the Rockets trending upward, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he takes them to the NBA Finals at some point, as he did with the Boston Celtics in 2022.
So, the Knicks aren’t expected to get either Kidd or Udoka. So, who could they target that is available? Stein listed Jay Wright and Johnnie Bryant as two candidates.
Wright, of course, coached Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart at Villanova. He retired in 2022, though, and there has been no indication that he wants to coach in the NBA.
As for Bryant, he was an associate head coach of the Knicks from 2020 to 2024. He knows those players, but is reportedly a finalist for the Phoenix Suns‘ head coaching job. The Knicks might have to act fast if they want Bryant.
Whoever the Knicks bring in will be under a ton of pressure and is going to have a lot to live up to. They had missed the playoffs seven seasons in a row before Thibodeau joined in 2020, and were one of the worst teams in the league during that time.
Thibodeau then led the Knicks to the playoffs four times in five seasons. They made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 under his leadership in 2025, but it wasn’t enough to keep his job. Time will tell if the Knicks made the right decision.
