Why now? Who's next? Five big Knicks questions after firing Tom Thibodeau

What lies ahead for the New York Knicks after the franchise fired head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday?

Thibodeau guided the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2000, defeating the Detroit Pistons in the first round and dethroning the defending champion Boston Celtics in the second round before falling in Game 6 to the Indiana Pacers. He finishes his tenure in New York with 24 playoff wins, 17 more than the team's past 13 coaches combined, according to ESPN Research.

Why fire Thibodeau now, and where could the front office turn in its search? Which high-profile names could be available? And what other moves might follow now that one of the most successful runs in franchise history has ended without a title, extending the Knicks' championship drought to 52 seasons?

Our NBA insiders examine every angle of the Thibodeau firing, including what could be next for the 67-year-old coach.

Why did the Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau now?

The theory of Occam's Razor says that when trying to solve a problem, the simplest solution is likely the correct one.

In this case, Thibodeau's time in New York ended because of the first line of the statement the Knicks released in response to his firing: "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans."

That, sources around the league said, is why a change was made. The Knicks decided a new voice was needed to lift this franchise to the next level, despite Thibodeau leading the Knicks to their best stretch of play this century, including winning a playoff series in three consecutive seasons and advancing to the conference finals for the first time in a quarter century.

After making a pair of splashy moves to land Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last summer, New York often felt like it was less than the sum of its parts. The starting lineup of Bridges, Towns, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby was outscored by 31 points in over 300 minutes in the playoffs, and was outscored from Jan. 1 through the end of the regular season.

The defense was at times an issue -- particularly against the Pacers in the conference finals -- though that also shouldn't come as a huge surprise with Brunson and Towns operating as the team's point guard and center (and it's not like Thibodeau isn't regarded as one of the best defensive coaches of his generation). New York could also shoot more 3-pointers, and adopt a faster pace offensively.

Plenty of teams have made the same choice New York has. In the cases of Steve Kerr replacing Mark Jackson with the Golden State Warriors in 2014, or Nick Nurse replacing Dwane Casey with the Toronto Raptors in 2018 -- it resulted in a championship. Others, like when Adrian Griffin replaced Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks, or when Fred Hoiberg replaced Thibodeau himself with the Chicago Bulls, things went in a very different direction.

-- Tim Bontemps

Who should the Knicks consider for the vacancy?

The most obvious candidate is Michael Malone, who led the Denver Nuggets to the 2022-23 title before a surprise firing with three games left in the regular season in April. Over the last eight seasons, Malone's Nuggets led all Western Conference teams with 401 wins -- 28 more than the second-place LA Clippers -- which emphasizes his consistency as a coach. Malone wouldn't be able to rely on Nikola Jokic in New York, but his success working with offensive stars who have defensive question marks would make him a solid fit for the Knicks roster.

It must be said, however, that the demanding Malone has a similar personality to Thibodeau, which could be a point against him if Knicks management wants to go in a new direction. If not Malone, both Mike Budenholzer and Frank Vogel have also won titles this decade, and their inability to wrangle the messy Phoenix Suns shouldn't be held against them.

play

1:48

What's next for Knicks after firing Tom Thibodeau?

Shams Charania reports on what the Knicks are looking for in a new coach after firing Tom Thibodeau and whether Michael Malone is an option.

Ultimately, the Knicks might be able to cast as wide a net as they desire, as the glamor and prestige of the job could attract just about any candidate Rose is interested in interviewing. Might Jay Wright, who won NCAA titles with Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges at Villanova, be coaxed out of retirement for his first NBA job? What about fellow two-time national champion Dan Hurley, who flirted with the Lakers gig last summer before signing a new contract at Connecticut?

All options are on the table for the most attractive NBA coaching job available: a reigning conference finalist with bona fide stars, competing in a weak conference in the biggest market in the country.

-- Zach Kram

What will the Knicks' next coach need to focus on?

Perhaps this is obvious after watching the conference finals play out, but finding a way to get more out of a group that plays Brunson near the point of attack and Towns closer to the rim.

Neither player is well equipped to handle those respective tasks, as Brunson is undersized on that end, while Towns isn't the most fleet of foot, and often commits silly fouls that leave him heading to the bench at inopportune times.

In the Pacers' series specifically, the Knicks were twisted into defensive pretzels with how Indiana was forcing their defense to stay in rotation. "You can stop one action, but then it's the next action, and the next action," Josh Hart said of the Pacers' game plan.

New York scrambled to stay connected. In many cases -- the Game 2 loss in particular -- Towns seemed lost trying to stay with Indiana's fast-paced, spaced-out attack. If this rotation is back fully next season, the next coach will need to consider changes to the starting lineup. Someone like Mitchell Robinson would give Towns a back-end defender more along the lines of a Rudy Gobert. Or perhaps there's another rangy wing defender that could bolster what Bridges and Anunoby seek to do to cover for Towns and Brunson's shortcomings.

Either way, the fix on defense figures to be a heavier lift than what's necessary on offense.

-- Chris Herring

Are there more dominoes to fall in New York?

There is an old mantra in sports that you can't fire the players, so you fire the coach. The Knicks' decision to fire Thibodeau is the latest example.

A change at coach does not absolve New York for its roster flaws, which were evident despite a 51-win season and became glaring in the conference finals loss to Indiana. President of Basketball Operations Leon Rose and his front office have work to do in building a bench better than the one that was barely used by Thibodeau.

Knicks reserves averaged the fewest minutes and points among all teams this season, while the team's starters averaged the second-most points per game of any team since 1986-87.

play

1:33

Why Stephen A. is upset by Knicks' decision to fire Tom Thibodeau

Stephen A. Smith voices his disappointment in the Knicks for firing Tom Thibodeau.

Finding capable role players could prove to be difficult for New York this offseason. While the team's top two reserves, Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson, are under contract next season, New York has only the veteran minimum exception and part of the $5.7 million tax mid level exception available to use in free agency. They will need to convince established veterans to sacrifice money elsewhere for a chance at competing for a championship.

The trades to bring in Bridges and Towns last summer left the Knicks depleted in draft assets and top heavy in salary, making a more seismic change difficult. New York has only one tradeable first-round pick in the next seven years, a 2026 top-8 protected first from Washington. They have five players next season who will earn over $20 million: Towns, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Bridges and Josh Hart.

-- Bobby Marks

What is Thibs' legacy in New York and what could be next for him?

Thibodeau spent his career building up to the point where he got this job. A Connecticut native who grew up a Knicks fan, Thibodeau knew everything that came with this job -- both from the attention that's paid to whoever is in that job, as well as the notoriety that comes with having success and failure in it.

And, despite the immediate sting of losing that job, as time goes by Thibodeau's tenure will only be looked at with fondness. The Knicks had won just one playoff series this century before Thibodeau led them to at least one in each of the past three years.

play

1:22

Perk: Thibs didn't deserve to lose his job!

Kendrick Perkins sounds off on the Knicks parting ways with Tom Thibodeau after five seasons.

He instilled an identity and a work ethic back into the franchise that resonated with the city and was a natural callback to the glory days of the '90s because of his time with the franchise as an assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy.

The better question is what could be next for him. Thibodeau had already finished the season as the NBA's oldest coach, and he doesn't always get enough credit for shifting toward the modern game because of the heavy minutes he plays his starters.

But Thibodeau has a very long and established track record of turning teams around and raising ceilings, and it's also hard to believe that his passion for coaching has dimmed even slightly. That's particularly true after this charmed run for the Knicks was capped off by Thibodeau returning to the conference finals for the first time since 2011, his first season with the Bulls.

-- Bontemps