According to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania, the Phoenix Suns have officially hired Jordan Ott as the franchise's next head coach. Ott was one of two finalists for the position, along with Johnnie Bryant, both of whom served as assistant coaches for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. The move now clears the runway for the Knicks to sign Bryant themselves.
The Knicks are now the only coaching vacancy in the NBA, meaning they have a bit of time to evaluate all of their options in a crucial process that they have to get right. Still, they want to wrap up the process sooner rather than later so they can focus on filling out their roster and preparing for the upcoming draft.
Bryant worked on New York's coaching staff for four seasons, adding to his appeal. Things are run differently in New York than in most organizations. Leon Rose famously does not address the media, which makes the head coach somewhat of the de facto spokesperson for the team. Bryant knows this better than anyone, having watched Tom Thibodeau go through the exact same thing.
Similarly, he has firsthand experience of the expectations put on the Knicks, not just internally, but from the media and fans as well.
Success in Cleveland
Bryant just wrapped up an incredibly successful season with the Cavaliers that saw them win 64 games, the most in the Eastern Conference. While their season ultimately fizzled out in the playoffs, partly due to numerous injuries to key players, the regular season speaks for itself.
Back in April of 2025, Bryant spoke to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post about his time in New York, saying, “Just being a part of change. Changing the culture there and [Tom Thibodeau] drove that and we supported him with that." Now, Bryant potentially has the opportunity to change the culture once again.
Ushering in a new era
Thibodeau was responsible for turning the Knicks back into contenders, he deserves immense credit for that. However, it became clear he wasn't the right person to take the Knicks those final 10 yards into the endzone.
Bryant is known as a player's coach. He has a unique ability to connect with them and get the best out of them. Now he has the opportunity to do that as a head coach, with a group of players with whom he already has a relationship with many of.