NEW YORK — It’s up to Leon Rose.
A source confirmed owner James Dolan gave his team president permission to fire Tom Thibodeau. However, Rose is expected to retain Thibodeau “beyond this season,” according to Bleacher Report, despite a disconnect between the coach and team executives William Wesley and Brock Aller.
Thibodeau, who has three years remaining on his contract, is the reigning Coach of the Year who oversaw a dramatic Knicks fall this season, prompting speculation about his job security as the front office maintained silence.
Wesley, a senior advisor, was privately blaming Thibodeau for the team’s struggles, according to sources.
Rose has a longstanding relationship with Thibodeau as his former agent. And if the coach is fired, the heat inevitably moves to the front office — especially if the owner is paying off multiple years of a contract.
Rose’s front office has adopted a patient and careful posture in its two years, which, at times, has been in conflict with Thibodeau’s win-now personality. Rose, according to a source, underbid in free agency for DeMar DeRozan, who took a bigger offer from the Bulls and became an All-NBA candidate. The Knicks were also outbid for Gordon Hayward in 2020 and never seriously pursued Fred VanVleet that same summer.
Still, Thibodeau’s installation of a defensive identity led a nondescript group to a shocking fourth seed last season, raising expectations beyond the roster’s means.
Kemba Walker was pegged as the starting point guard after signing in free agency, but he flamed out quickly because of an arthritic knee and bolted last month. Walker’s decline was exacerbated by the absence of Derrick Rose, who hasn’t played since pre-Christmas because of ankle surgery.
The front office essentially stood pat at the trade deadline, and sources around the league believe its next big play is trying to pry Donovan Mitchell out of Utah. The Knicks are also targeting Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson this summer as an unrestricted free agent, according to sources.
The Knicks entered Wednesday night with a 28-40 record, losers of 19 of their last 25 with their playoff hopes on life support. On Tuesday, Thibodeau sidestepped a question from reporters about whether he received assurances from the front office.
“I don’t worry about any of that stuff,” he said. “Just coach the team. Coach the team, get ready for the next day. Never have. I know what I put into the job.”
According to Bleacher Report, Thibodeau’s willingness to serve as the franchise spokesman is valuable to the silent Leon Rose, who hasn’t spoken publicly since September.
The report also cited a lack of an enticing replacement and the financial commitment to Thibodeau as reasons Rose will keep the coach into next season.
