Knicks May Be Looking for Way to Part With Brown
Larry Brown, far left, with Isiah Thomas, James L. Dolan and Steve Mills when Brown was introduced as the Knicks' coach last July.
By HOWARD BECK and LIZ ROBBINS
Published: May 15, 2006
The Knicks are tethered to Coach Larry Brown by a contract guarantee of more than $40 million, and as the franchise ponders its next move, that hefty sum may be the main hurdle to a divorce.
Distraught over their worst season in 20 years, and with Brown's erratic leadership, Knicks officials have been mulling Brown's future for weeks. But they have yet to decide his fate, presumably because of the millions they owe him over the next four years and because of the picture of defeat a buyout of his contract would present.
The team's discontent with Brown is considerable, according to four people with ties to the Knicks' front office. They were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss relations between the team and Brown.
A contract buyout has been discussed but not yet pursued, since it is not yet clear that team officials are ready to make that leap, according to two Eastern Conference executives and one of the four people tied to the Knicks.
The Knicks introduced Brown, a Hall of Fame coach, with great fanfare last July. But rather than lead a revival, Brown plunged the Knicks further into disarray as they finished 23-59, tying a franchise record for defeats in a season.
He alienated most of his players with his criticism, used a league-high 42 starting lineups and engaged in an embarrassing public spat with Stephon Marbury, the team's star point guard. By doing so, Brown upset James L. Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden, who abhors public controversy and who expressed his displeasure with Brown's criticism in a meeting with reporters in February.
There are three ways the Knicks and Brown could part. If the Knicks conclude that parting is necessary, they could fire him and pay the more than $40 million he is owed, or they could negotiate a buyout for a lesser sum. The third alternative is that Brown could decide to walk away, if he finds another lucrative opportunity.
There are three coaching possibilities in the league: a vacancy in Sacramento, a potential vacancy in Charlotte, and a questionable situation in Golden State. It is believed that no team has asked the Knicks for permission to talk to Brown.
Near the end of the season, Brown made it clear that he wanted wholesale changes on the roster, and he emphasized that point privately with Knicks executives. The day after the season ended, Brown said he was "excited" about returning and Isiah Thomas, the team president, said the Knicks had not considered making a change.
Yesterday, Brown's agent, Joe Glass, and the Knicks declined to comment.
If Brown is dismissed, three people with ties to the Knicks' front office said, the team might ask Thomas to coach the roster he has assembled.
The New York Post reported yesterday that Dolan and Steve Mills, the president of Madison Square Garden Sports, endorsed' the buyout option and wanted Thomas to replace Brown.
If the Knicks decide to negotiate a buyout with Brown, they want Thomas to coach the team to offset the cost of the buyout, according to one person with ties to the Knicks.
Thomas has only coached the Indiana Pacers, who fired him in 2003 despite making the playoffs in all three of his seasons. For now, there are no obvious alternatives in the coaching market. A year ago, the Knicks interviewed Brown, Phil Jackson and Flip Saunders, all of whom boasted great résumés. Saunders was hired by Detroit, while Jackson returned to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Friends say that Thomas wants to coach again, but he has insisted that he does not plan to coach the Knicks.
Firing or buying out Brown — after only one season, no matter how dreadful — would present a painful moment for Knicks officials. It would be acknowledging a mistake — something Thomas has never done as team president — and would stand in awkward contrast to the buoyant celebration they staged upon hiring Brown just 10 months ago.
The Knicks would not be able to replicate that buzz this time around. The biggest names available are Don Nelson, who is in semiretirement, and Rick Adelman, who was fired last week by the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings' vacancy could present Brown with a landing spot if the Knicks let him go. The Charlotte Bobcats are another possibility. Brown's representatives have made inquiries with the Bobcats, according to one person with ties to the Knicks.
Bernie Bickerstaff has a dual role as Charlotte's coach and general manager, but he has considered giving up the coaching job. An Eastern Conference official with knowledge of Charlotte's plans denied that there was any contact with Brown.
Given Brown's long record of leaving teams before his contract is finished — and his frayed relations with the Knicks — his preparing for a future outside New York is not unlikely.
Brown and Glass negotiated a $7 million buyout with the Pistons last summer. Then Glass negotiated a five-year contract for more than $50 million with the Knicks, with Brown making $11 million this season.
Including his $6 million salary the final year in Detroit, Brown has made $24 million in 18 months. He could double that amount if he negotiates a buyout and finds another job.
5/15/2006 12:35 AM