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The New York Knicks’ search for a new head coach may be nearing a conclusion soon.
After conducting a first round of interviews over the last two weeks, the Knicks have formally invited Mike Brown back for a second interview, which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, league sources tell The Athletic. Brown is also on track to have a meeting with Knicks owner James Dolan that could be the final step in the process, league sources said.
In addition, New York is considering bringing back both James Borrego and Micah Nori for second interviews, multiple league sources said. Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins were the first two candidates interviewed.
During this process, the Knicks also reached out to South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, league sources told The Athletic. And while she impressed in that conversation, she is currently not considered a finalist for the position, league sources said.
Hiring a head coach would close a search that has undergone many twists and turns since New York fired Tom Thibodeau shortly after losing in the Eastern Conference finals.
Before interviewing Brown and Jenkins, the Knicks — who are conducting the only coaching search in the league — attempted to obtain permission to speak with multiple head coaches currently employed by other teams, including Houston’s Ime Udoka, Dallas’ Jason Kidd, Minnesota’s Chris Finch, and Chicago’s Billy Donovan. All of those requests were denied. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison publicly shut down a potential Kidd-to-New York move last week during his news conference following the NBA Draft.
Brown, who appears to be the clubhouse leader for the job, was fired midway through last season by the Sacramento Kings. During his first two seasons with the Kings, Brown led them to their first back-to-back 40-plus-win seasons since 2004-2006. Brown previously coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to a finals run in 2007 and coached the Los Angeles Lakers briefly before spending several seasons as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s Golden State staff.
Borrego was the head coach of the Hornets from 2018 to 2022 and was fired after leading Charlotte to a 43-win campaign in his final season. After taking time off, Borrego spent last season as an assistant in New Orleans. Borrego comes from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree and is considered an offensive-minded, analytically-driven coach.
Nori is the only potential finalist without head coaching experience. He has been an NBA assistant for several years and is someone many in NBA circles believe will soon become a head coach. Nori has spent the last four years in Minnesota next to Finch. Before that, he was with Dwane Casey in both Detroit and Toronto, with stops in Denver and Sacramento in between. Nori is regarded as a creative offensive coach.
The Knicks’ search has taken them beyond the NBA Draft and into the early days of free agency. The team is limited in its financial capabilities, but, according to league sources, is expected to sign veteran bench scorer Jordan Clarkson once he clears waivers later this week. Clarkson and the Utah Jazz agreed to a buyout late last week.
(Photo of Mike Brown: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
