The New York Knicks are enduring a surprising shakeup following their loss in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. On Tuesday afternoon, the franchise unexpectedly parted ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau, who led New York to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm.
With Thibodeau now out, the Knicks have a vacancy at head coach. With a contender-level roster including standouts Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus high-impact wings in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, the position should draw plenty of interest from some of the hottest names on the coaching market.
So, who will be the Knicks’ next head coach and take the reins of one of basketball’s most iconic franchises?
As of Tuesday evening, next head coach odds are officially live in select markets on DraftKings Sportsbook. Read on for some info on the top candidates.
The favorite
Opening odds for the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy list Michael Malone as the heaviest favorite at +125 odds. The 53-year-old spent 10 seasons as head coach of the Denver Nuggets before his abrupt firing just days before the 2025 playoffs began. Over his time with the franchise, he took the team from a rebuilding squad to a title winner, culminating in a 2023 NBA Finals victory and an overall 471-327 record.
Malone’s extensive X’s and O’s acumen is well-documented and it’s easy to see why he’s the favorite to take over in one of the NBA’s top markets. If the Knicks maintain their hopes of winning their first title since 1973, Malone looks like an easy choice and a potential home-run hire. As an added bonus, he was born in Queens, New York and actually began his coaching career in 2003 as an assistant coach and scout for the Knicks. The fanbase would certainly love this full-circle aspect.
Second on the leaderboard
Johnnie Bryant sits second on the odds leaderboard at +400. While he hasn’t served as a head coach at the NBA level before, Bryant does boast 11 years of experience on league staffs. There’s also familiarity between the 39-year-old and the Knicks organization since he served as the team’s associate head coach from 2020 until July 2024, when he took a similar position with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s known for player development, but after cutting his teeth as an associate head coach for the last five years, he’s another name to watch for.
Longshot candidates
Three names are tied for third in DraftKings Sportsbook’s odds to replace Thibodeau at +1500 each — Mike Budenholzer, Rick Brunson, and Jay Wright.
Mike Budenholzer has 11 years of experience as an NBA head coach with a 520-363 career record and a championship ring from his run with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. He lasted just one season in his most recent job with the Phoenix Suns, and executives mostly know who he is at this point. While it’s possible Bud joins the Knicks, it feels more likely they go for a more inspired candidate.
Rick Brunson’s name feels more public for his current role with the Knicks organization than for his nine-year NBA career. Brunson has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for New York and has nine total years of experience on the sidelines with various teams. He’s arguably most known for helping recruit his son, Jalen Brunson, to the Knicks. He is certainly a name to watch for this head coach role given his time with the team and reputation within the organization, but how he’d fare as the lead guy remains uncertain.
College basketball fans certainly know Wright’s name from his two decades at the helm of Villanova’s program, where he accumulated a 520-197 record, plenty of conference championships, and an NCAA title. However, he’s been retired for multiple years now and is 63 years old, so this doesn’t seem like a realistic option at +1500 odds.
After those three, the next contenders for the Knicks’ vacancy on DraftKings Sportsbook all come in with +2000 odds or longer. Two names do stand out among the bunch, though.
Taylor Jenkins worked for six years as the Memphis Grizzlies’ head coach, taking the franchise to the playoffs multiple times with 250-214 record overall. His dismissal with nine games to go until the playoffs came as a bit of a shock given the timing, but he’s certainly not a bad coach. He’s one of the best sleeper candidates for the Knicks job and will almost certainly garner some interest.
Finally, UConn head coach Dan Hurley holds similar +2000 odds. His flirtation with the Los Angeles Lakers last offseason garnered plenty of headlines before he eventually inked a hefty contract extension with the Big East mainstay. He’s both a fiery personality and an excellent basketball mind, plus his 165-69 record and two NCAA titles with UConn speak to his body of work. Still, whether he leaves the college hoops world for the pro game remains anyone’s guess.
