What the odds say: Who will be the Knicks' next head coach?

The Knicks made the playoffs five times in 20 seasons before Tom Thibodeau roamed Madison Square Garden's sidelines. He led New York to four playoff appearances in the last five years and brought the Knicks to their first conference finals since 2000. What did all that success earn him? An exile from the organization following its series loss to the Pacers.

While we can litigate the decision from every angle, whether this is remembered as an effective or regrettable decision almost entirely depends on who the Knicks hire as their next coach and whether he can push New York to the mountaintop.

NBA organizations view coaches as expendable commodities, recycling them every few years. Erik Spoelstra and Steve Kerr have been with the Heat and Warriors for 17 and 11 years, respectively. But Billy Donovan is the next-longest-tenured coach after completing his fifth season with the Bulls.

The Knicks fired Thibodeau because they believed the team reached its ceiling under his leadership. The next coach must elevate New York's ceiling while operating as the team's spokesperson in the nation's toughest market.

Knicks' next coach odds

Odds via theScore Bet

Johnnie Bryant is one of the least recognizable names on the list, but Knicks fans are familiar with Thibodeau's former staff member. Bryant, who's never served as a head coach, was an associate head coach for the Knicks from 2020-24 before leaving to take the same position with the Cavaliers under Kenny Atkinson last season. Bryant was a part of Cleveland's 64-win team, which finished the regular season with the league's top offense.

Just 39 years old, Bryant is a fast-rising coach who's respected in NBA circles. He was a finalist for the Suns' job before they ultimately hired Cavs assistant Jordan Ott. Bryant's prior relationships with the Knicks' front office and star players - including Jalen Brunson, who publicly supported keeping Thibodeau - may draw him back to New York.

The Knicks could also opt for an experienced coach to guide them to a championship. Jason Kidd has been linked to New York and previously coached Brunson when he played in Dallas. The problem? Kidd is still under contract with the Mavericks.

While the Knicks will seek permission to interview Kidd, the Mavs could deny the request. He reportedly wasn't involved in the organization's decision to trade Luka Doncic. If he holds any animosity toward Dallas' unstable management and ownership over the move, Kidd may want to move on from the Mavericks despite them landing the No. 1 pick in the draft and generational prospect Cooper Flagg. If the Knicks want Kidd and he wants to leave for New York, all parties would likely facilitate the deal through a coaching trade, requiring the Knicks to gift the Mavs some compensation.

Jay Wright was an obvious candidate for the job as one of this generation's most successful basketball coaches. He coached title-winning Villanova teams that featured Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges. But Wright is out of the running after making it clear through a series of reports that he isn't interested in returning to coaching.

Then there's the group of head coaches who were - perhaps foolishly - fired this season. Michael Malone is the most successful, leading the Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2023 and sitting at the front of Denver's bench for 10 seasons. While he's undoubtedly a great coach, he shares some of the stubborn traits that likely led to Thibodeau's ouster, including refusing to play his bench.

Mike Budenholzer won a championship with the Bucks in 2021 but has been fired by Milwaukee and Phoenix since. Mike Brown took the disastrous Kings to the playoffs in 2023 for the first time in 17 seasons. Taylor Jenkins steered the Grizzlies to the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. While down the oodsboard, Jenkins and Brown should at least warrant an interview.

Bryant, Malone, Budenholzer, and Jenkins are all represented by the agency CAA, where Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose was a powerhouse agent before moving to the Knicks' front office.

Jeff Van Gundy and Dan Hurley are wild-card candidates to consider, but both are long shots. At this point, the Knicks hiring anyone other than Bryant, Kidd, or Malone would be a surprise. However, after firing the coach who brought them to the Eastern Conference finals, they should conduct an extensive search that leaves no stone unturned.

Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.