Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1287073651880267776

Well, looks like Thibs won that negotiation

Glad it’s him and not Kidd. Really wanted him as coach when Phil fired Woody, but have cooled on him since. I’ll give him a chance though, hope he chooses some good assistants. On the plus side, Rose and Wes are in new roles, so it’s nice to have a coach who’s experienced in what they do.

The funny part of this is that for days someone on realgm kept saying we’re hiring Thibs and just waiting for Woj to return from suspension to announce it, then when he returned yesterday they said to expect him to announce it almost immediately- I thought they were joking!

The New York Knicks and Tom Thibodeau are finalizing a five-year deal to make him the franchise's next head coach, sources tell ESPN.

Knicks president Leon Rose and agent Spencer Breecker of CAA Sports were working Saturday to complete contractual terms, and a signed agreement is expected in the near future, sources said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rose and executive vice president William Wesley are completing a two-month search process, with Thibodeau long expected to emerge with the job. Together, they'll be tasked with the daunting challenge of restoring a forlorn franchise to NBA relevance.

New York is counting on Thibodeau's history in player development as a head coach and assistant to put into place a program that'll restore a competitive infrastructure with the Knicks. For now, Rose and Thibodeau inherit a roster that needs dramatic upgrades before a return to the playoffs is even a realistic aspiration.

New York was 21-45 this season, missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

Thibodeau is 11th all-time in winning percentage for coaches with 500 or more games. He has a 352-246 (.589) record in eight seasons with Chicago and Minnesota.

Thibodeau, 62, comes to the Knicks after a tumultuous two-plus seasons with the Timberwolves that included the franchise's first playoff berth in 14 years -- and an unraveling centered around All-Star Jimmy Butler's trade demand that led to Thibodeau's dismissal as president and coach in 2019.

Thibodeau had five playoff seasons with the Bulls, including a trip to the Eastern Conference finals and an NBA coach of the year award in 2010. A series of injuries to MVP Derrick Rose played a role in derailing the Bulls' championships aspirations.

Thibodeau was a Knicks assistant under Jeff Van Gundy from 1996 to 2004, and has long desired to return to New York as a head coach. He's a native of nearby New Britain, Connecticut
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29536798/sources-tom-thibodeau-finalizing-5-year-deal-coach-new-york-knicks

NYKBocker wrote:I think getting interviewed is a good thing for NBA candidates. Makes them relevant

There was a report that most of the coaches were affiliated with Rose and that one of the reasons he interviewed them was to get their names out there...

Allanfan20 wrote:Thank God it’s not Kidd.

Its really funny how people started to like Thibs because Kidd’s name came up. Almost to the point you wonder was the name dropped to manipulate people in accepting Thibs by saying “at least it wasn’t Kidd”

My biggest concern is now that Thibs is here, it may cause us to skip steps in the rebuild and chase players that help make an 8th seed playoff push next year. Hopefully, we will continue to focus on rebuilding the right way.

martin wrote:

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1287089527346135041

Q - every all star point guards last hoorah here. Phil Jackson, now Tibbs.

Kenny was the right guy for a group of young players that needed fundamentals. Mark Jackson and JVG, number 2. It would really be good to keep Miller on the staff.

Minnesota didn’t end well, but maybe that’s just because it’s Minnesota.

Hopefully this finally means a coach finishes his contract.