The New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, marking the end of the head coach's five-year run with the team. ESPN's Shams Charania cited the team's need for a new voice that will lead them to their first championship in over 50 years. It just so happens that there is an available coach on the market who led his former team to their first-ever title in 2023.
Denver fired Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth with three regular-season games remaining, leaving everyone stunned. It ultimately worked in the Nuggets' favor, with David Adelman leading the team to a 3-0 win streak to close out the regular season. Denver beat the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs before coming up short against the Thunder in Game 7 of the semifinals. The Kroenkes rewarded Adelman with the official head coach job.
Malone kept a low profile in the first few weeks after he was fired, but joined ESPN's coverage of the Western Conference finals. Before Tuesday, there was one NBA team searching for its next head coach. The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer after their disappointing season. After weeks of speaking with candidates, Phoenix has narrowed its selection down to two finalists: Jordan Ott and Johnnie Bryant. Malone was never mentioned as a candidate, as the Suns want a first-time head coach.
You better believe that the Knicks are looking at Malone to take over for Thibodeau.
Michael Malone's CAA connection to Knicks can't be ignored
Not only is Malone a native New Yorker with championship experience, but CAA also represents him. The Knicks are closely tied to CAA due to Leon Rose, who previously headed the agency's basketball division before joining the Knicks as the president of basketball operations.
After Charania broke the news, he said on The Pat McAfee Show that he believes the Knicks will go after someone who can develop the bench and work well with the front office. Malone and Booth butt heads in Denver, leading to tension within the organization, but that doesn't mean the coach couldn't fit in New York. Malone and Tim Connelly had a great relationship.
The Knicks could value Malone's resume above all else. One can assume that Malone would be interested in returning to New York. Why wouldn't he want to go home to lead the team that he grew up cheering for as a kid?