Over the past couple of weeks, the New York Knicks have been looking to poach coaches from other teams, but that strategy hasn’t worked out.
Since firing Tom Thibodeau after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks have had one of the most bizarre coaching searches in recent memory. While the team was rumored to be in the market for the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd, that has become one of many options for the Knicks to fall through.
With other big names in the coaching world, such as Quin Snyder and Chris Finch, also being on the Knicks’ radar, the team has only been rejected by other teams around the league. One of the most recent teams to deny the Knicks permission to interview their coach was the Chicago Bulls.
Billy Donovan has been in Chicago for five seasons but has only made one trip to the playoffs in his tenure. Despite the overall lack of success, Donovan’s time in Chicago isn’t coming to an end anytime soon.
On Sunday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Donovan and the Bulls were getting close to a contract extension. He also made sure to point out that the Knicks’ interest in Donovan played a key role in his new deal.
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After refusing to allow the Knicks to interview Donovan, there must have been a realization in the Bulls’ front office that they would like to keep him around as long as possible. With the Knicks potentially forcing those conversations in other front offices around the league, Donovan might not be the only coach to get a new deal thanks to New York’s insistence on going after sitting head coaches.
