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Jun 12, 2025  |  
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NextImg:Knicks denied by Timberwolves, Rockets to talk with Chris Finch, Ime Udoka

The Knicks were shot down by two teams in their head coach search.

New York was denied permission to speak with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka for their vacant head coaching job in another twist in the ongoing coaching search.

The Rockets were formally approached by the Knicks for permission, to which they quickly said no, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. 

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka reacts during game their Game 7 loss to the Warriors in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It had been previously reported that the Rockets had no interest in engaging in a scenario that would set up Udoka to potentially leave for the Knicks job. 

Udoka is under contract in Houston for the next two seasons and is coming off a year in which he coached the Rockets to the fourth-best record (52-30) in the NBA, along with the 47-year-old finishing third in the voting for NBA Coach of the Year.

It was the second organization that had turned the Knicks down when they had approached them to talk with their coach. 

Sports talk great Mike Francesa was the first to report that the Timberwolves had denied the Knicks permission to speak with their head coach, Chris Finch, who led them to the Western Conference finals this season. 

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, gestures next to referee James Williams during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs between the Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, gestures next to referee James Williams during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. AP

The Knicks could still look to request permission to speak with other current head coaches, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported late Tuesday night

The Knicks have been without a coach since they fired Tom Thibodeau in a move just days after they had been knocked out of the Eastern Conference finals by the Indiana Pacers.