New York Knicks finalising deal to sign Tom Thibodeau as head coach

The Knicks management is looking for the right man to rebuild the struggling team.

An insider has revealed that the New York Knicks are looking to sign Tom Thibodeau as head coach starting next season. Thibodeau is a former Knicks assistant coach who left their organisation in 2007. As a defensive coach for the Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy, he helped set a then-NBA record by holding 33 consecutive opponents under 100 points in the 2000-01 season.

The Knicks president fired head coach David Fitzdale last December after a sluggish showing by the team at the onset of the 2019-2020 season. Assistant Coach Mike Miller was appointed as interim head coach and went 17-27 (win-loss) before the league was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Knicks did not qualify to play in the NBA-Orlando bubble for the season restart, effectively ending the 2019-2020 campaign for the squad.

Fitzdale was fired after failing to deliver on expectations, which was to "to get a competitive team" by this season after lading dead last in the 2018-2019 season. One of the hopes was to sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, superstars that went into free agency last year.

Both superstars did end up in New York, but with rival team the Brooklyn Nets.

The Knicks have been actively looking for a replacement since then, and interim coach Mike Miller is a strong candidate. Other options include former Brooklyn assistant coach Kenny Atkinson and one of the greatest playmakers of all time, Jason Kidd, who's currently an assistant coach for the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers.

According to NBA.com, it looks like the Knicks will select Thibodeau as their head coach. Once selected, he will be the 13th person to hold the position since Jeff Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season.

During the time of Van Gundy, he led the Knicks to the postseason every season he was the head coach. Since he left New York, they qualified only three times.

It looks like the team is going to rebuild off their previous formula by signing an assistant of Van Gundy. There are also rumours that the Knicks are actively chasing Carmelo Anthony, whose one year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers will end soon.

Anthony played for the Knicks from 2010 to 2017. He won the scoring champion award in 2013 as part of the Knicks, scoring 38.7 points per game for them.