Knicks insider says people can ‘forget about’ Michael Malone going to Knicks

Knicks insider says people can ‘forget about’ Michael Malone going to Knicks

Depending on who you ask, the New York Knicks made a shocking decision Tuesday to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau days after the Knicks were eliminated from their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.

Thibodeau undoubtedly shifted the culture from a laughingstock into a gritty, fearless contender in the East. But his postseason shortcomings bit them once again, and now the Knicks are looking for a new voice to lead the charge, spearheaded by Jalen Brunson.

After the news broke, speculation arose about whether recently-fired Michael Malone would be the leading candidate. Well, Knicks insider Stefan Bondy of the New York Post threw cold water on that pretty quickly.

You can forget about Michael Malone as a replacement for Thibodeau. Not going to happen.

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) June 3, 2025

SNY’s Ian Begley indirectly followed up Wednesday morning, shutting down any notion that Malone would be a “slam dunk hire” with the Knicks.

“People in touch with the team recently also downplay the idea of Mike Malone being a slam-dunk hire here,” Begley wrote.

Could he still lobby some consideration? Perhaps. He’s a championship-level head coach and would be entering a good-not-great situation in New York; any new hire would need to figure out how to build a defense around Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson, but that’s another conversation for another day.

Is Karl-Anthony Towns Already Wearing Out His Welcome?

Mark Stein reported Tuesday night that Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd are two coaches that New York may have interest in.

While I don’t think Thibodeau is the right individual for the job if this team has title aspirations, finding a suitable replacement will be easier said than done–especially if Malone isn’t a worthwhile candidate.

***

Click Here for more NBA Content

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests