Knicks Coach Being Patient With New Contract

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has one year left on his deal that he signed in 2020 to lead the team.

In four years with the Knicks, Thibodeau has led the team to the playoffs thrice, missing out on the postseason in 2022. However, Thibodeau has done more than enough to earn an extension, even if the upcoming campaign goes awry.

That being said, The Athletic insider Fred Katz is reporting that the Knicks and Thibodeau are in no rush to get a new deal signed.

“He is entering the final year of his contract. But more than two months removed from the group’s playoff ousting, Thibodeau is yet to extend,” Katz writes. “Yet, that’s no concern for Thibodeau or the organization, league sources told The Athletic. Thibodeau is still more likely to extend than not. The Knicks have merely had other matters to take care of, such as the trade for Bridges, the extension for Brunson and other roster-building activities.”

Thibodeau, 66, has a team that has bought into his teachings. The Knicks mirror Thibodeau’s mindset of being a hardnosed squad that wins games on the defensive end as opposed to offense.

The Knicks main struggles under Thibodeau have been injuries, which can be connected to the coach’s strict rotations late in the season. Josh Hart was hardly sitting out in the waning games of the regular season and deep into the postseason, and several players were averaging around 40 minutes per night.

Even with that criticism, the Knicks are still all in on Thibodeau and believe he can very well be the coach that leads the franchise to its first championship since 1973. Finding a coach that can match a team’s energy and vice versa can be extremely hard to find in the league. Implementing a system and culture is an underrated aspect of the NBA and coaches’ jobs, but Thibodeau has done a stellar job doing that for the Knicks.

That’s why there’s no concern from Thibodeau on his future, because he and the organization know he’s done enough to earn another deal.

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