There’s a clear favorite to take over the Knicks’ head coaching job.
After the franchise fired Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, Michael Malone is the early front-runner to take over the position, according to oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Malone, who was fired by the Nuggets with a week to go in the regular season after a decade as Denver’s head coach, is an early +125 favorite to be on the Knicks’ sideline come the fall.
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Michael Malone | +125 |
| Johnnie Bryant | +400 |
| Jay Wright | +1500 |
| Mike Budenholzer | +1500 |
| Rick Brunson | +1500 |
| Monty Williams | +2000 |
| Taylor Jenkins | +2000 |
| John Calipari | +2000 |
| Dan Hurley | +2000 |
| Jeff Van Gundy | +2500 |
Malone went 471-327 in 10 seasons in Denver and led the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title before his shocking firing just before the postseason kicked off.
His favorite status comes despite The Post’s Stefan Bondy reporting that the Knicks hiring Malone for the job was “not going to happen.”
Johnnie Bryant, who spent four seasons in New York under Thibodeau from the 2020-21 season through the 2023-24 season as an associate coach, is the second-favorite to win the job, sitting at +400.
He currently serves as the associate head coach of the Cavaliers under Kenny Atkinson, and was recently named as a finalist for the Suns’ head coach opening.
A trio of intriguing names — Jay Wright, Mike Budenholzer and Rick Brunson — are +1500 long shots to be named the next Knicks head coach.
Wright coached the Knicks’ star trio of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges at Villanova, although he hasn’t coached since retiring in 2022.
Budenholzer was fired by Phoenix after one disappointing season and is considered one of the top coaches on the market right now.
Whoever gets the job will fill the big shoes of Thibodeau, who went 226-174 during the regular season and made the postseason four times.
“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement.
“We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”