NBA Rumors: Tom Thibodeau, Knicks Agree to 3-Year Contract Extension Through 2027-28

Tom Thibodeau isn’t going anywhere.

The New York Knicks head coach has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension to remain with the franchise through the 2027-28 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

SNY’s Ian Begley reported Thibodeau’s new contract “is in line with the current market for head coaches” which has seen salaries regularly hit eight figures annually.

The news comes as little surprise after Marc Stein reported on June 26 that Thibodeau was expected to receive a contract extension from New York “in the near future.”

Thibodeau was hired by the Knicks ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, replacing Mike Miller, who was named interim bench boss after the franchise fired David Fizdale.

The Knicks were hoping Thibodeau could work his magic in New York after previously leading the Chicago Bulls to the postseason in each of his five seasons with the franchise from 2010 to 2015 and leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs in 2018, their first postseason appearance since 2004.

During his first season at the helm, the Knicks finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record, and Thibodeau won the Coach of the Year award. However, the team fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, winning just one game in that series.

In 2021-22, the Knicks played far worse, finishing 11th in the East with a 37-45 record, missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons.

The 2023-24 campaign was Thibodeau’s best in New York as the Knicks finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 50-32 record. They went on to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs but fell to the Indiana Pacers in the second round amid injuries to stars such as Brunson and Julius Randle.

The Knicks haven’t been true NBA Finals contenders since the ’90s, when they reached the championship round twice. Additionally, the team hasn’t won an NBA title since 1973, when it defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

But with Thibodeau locked up and the star duo of Brunson and Mikal Bridges now leading the charge alongside Randle, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and a strong supporting cast, it may finally be the Knicks’ time to return to title contention.