Ian Begley of SNY joined Jon Macri of Knicks Film School on a podcast, where he broke the news that former Knicks assistant coach Johnnie Bryant is not being heavily considered for the Knicks' head coach position. The news may come as a surprise to some, as Bryant's name had frequently appeared in rumors in the days following Tom Thibodeau's dismissal.
Among those surprised is I, as I had originally assumed the timing of Thibodeau's dismissal had to do with the Knicks wanting to hire Bryant before the Suns did, as he was among the finalists being considered at that time. Bryant, of course, served as an assistant coach under Thibodeau from the 2020-21 season through the 2023-24 season.
The Suns ultimately opted to sign Jordan Ott, leaving Bryant available. However, it quickly became clear that Bryant wasn't the Knicks' first option, or even high up on the list, as they requested to interview Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and Christ Finch. Now, Begley has reinforced that, saying, "To the best of my knowledge, as of today, he is not near the top of the list, if there is a list."
Who are the Knicks considering?
So, if it isn't Bryant, who are the Knicks looking into? Their only plan couldn't have been to just approach well-established coaches under existing contracts in the hopes that teams would relinquish them for nothing. Leon Rose had to have known that wasn't a viable plan. However, at this time, whatever the real plan is remains unclear.
A name that Begley did mention on the podcast was Mike Brown, who was fired by the Sacramento Kings last December. Brown is known as an offensive-minded coach, so it would be a logical option for the Knicks to at least consider, based on the fact that their team is structured around Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, both of whom had trouble fully clicking together last season.
Begley also mentioned Taylor Jenkins, Mike Budenholzer, and Mike Woodson as possible options for the Knicks. Jenkins was fired by the Memphis Grizzlies towards the end of last season, while Budenholzer was fired by the Suns following the season. Woodson, of course, spent multiple years with New York both as an assistant and head coach. He currently serves as an associate head coach with the Kings.
While fans might not be thrilled to hear Woodson's name among those being considered, Begley pointed to his experience coaching in New York and his relationship with Rose as reasons he would be considered.