The Big Lead

Tom Thibodeau reportedly won't return to Knicks after Eastern Conference Finals loss

The Knicks are making a drastic change shortly after making the conference finals and losing to the Indiana Pacers.

By Matt Reed

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau watches from the sideline against the Boston Celtics during the 2025 NBA Playoffs
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau watches from the sideline against the Boston Celtics during the 2025 NBA Playoffs / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks are clearly thinking about their future after being knocked out of the NBA Playoffs by the Indiana Pacers, and their next chapter won't include head coach Tom Thibodeau despite getting the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, Tom Thibodeau has been relieved of his coaching duties with the Knicks despite bringing the team back to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years.

The news does come as a bit of a surprise after reports in recent days pointed towards the Knicks keeping Thibodeau on as head coach, especially given the fact that people close to the team believed that star guard Jalen Brunson wanted his coach to return.

New York has been on the climb in recent seasons, making the playoffs in four out of five years with Thibodeau leading the way.

However, his team's win over the Boston Celtics in the East semifinals wasn't enough to prove to the Knicks organization that Thibodeau should be leading the team for next season.

Charania also pointed out that the team wants a 'new voice' to lead the way as New York aims to take another step closer towards winning an NBA title, however, it's hard to see many big-name candidates available at the moment outside of former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and former Villanova Wildcats national championship-winning coach Jay Wright.

The former Wildcats coach already has a connection to the Knicks with several former Villanova players on the team, including Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.

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