Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka is one of the two active NBA coaches who have drawn interest from the New York Knicks after Tuesday’s shocking Tom Thibodeau firing, NBA insider Marc Stein reports.
The other coach whom the Knicks are interested in poaching is Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks.
Udoka and Kidd previously interviewed for the Knicks job. But the Knicks ultimately hired Thibodeau ahead of the 2020-21 season. The Knicks would need to seek permission from their respective teams to talk to both coaches if they are to pursue them.
But this early, the Rockets made their position clear.
“One source with knowledge of the Rockets’ thinking told The Stein Line categorically that permission to speak with Udoka would be rejected if the Knicks requested it,” Stein wrote.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic also reported the same thing.
“Regarding reports identifying Ime Udoka as a possible target for the vacant Knicks coaching position, Houston has no interest in entertaining that,” Iko wrote on X, citing a team source. “Both parties are committed to the long-term project and are actively preparing for a busy offseason.”
Knicks Ties
Udoka played for eight games with the Knicks during the 2005-06 season, averaging 2.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 14.3 minutes. It was during his brief Knicks stint that coaching in the NBA was planted on his mind by then Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas.
It would have been a full-circle moment for him had the Knicks hired him, instead of Thibodeau, in 2020. But Udoka was an unproven coach at that time.
Getty Ime Udoka eyed as a potential Tom Thibodeau successor.
Udoka went on to coach the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals and guide a young Rockets team to the No. 2 seed and pushed the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the first-round of the playoffs this season.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau three days after their season ended in a Game 6 loss to the lower-seeded but deeper Indiana Pacers team. In the statement the Knicks released announcing Thibodeau’s firing, team president Leon Rose underscored their singular focus on winning a championship.
Udoka has been a ceiling-raiser in his young career as an NBA head coach.
Udoka went on to coach the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals and guide a young Rockets team to the No. 2 seed and pushed the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the first-round of the playoffs this season.
Knicks’ Interest Bodes Well for Ime Udoka in Extension Talks
Udoka signed a four-year, $28.5 million deal in 2023 to coach the Rockets. A move to the Knicks could represent a significant raise for Udoka, who is nowhere near the top 10 highest-paid coaches in the NBA.
Thibodeau is leaving the Knicks with $30 million-plus guaranteed money after signing a three-year extension last year. The recently fired Knicks coach was tied for fourth among the highest-paid coaches in the NBA, averaging $11 million annually, according to Front Office Sports.
Udoka could use the Knicks’ interest as leverage to get a raise from the Rockets in a contract extension.
The Rockets have dramatically improved in Udoka’s first two seasons at the helm. They made the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
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