Knicks Reportedly Interested in Rockets' Head Coach

Owning one of the best young cores in the NBA, the Rockets have been heavily involved in rumors throughout their short offseason.

But one late-Tuesday report had nothing to do with the teams young stars or any potential trade target.

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein on The Stein Line , the Knicks reportedly have interest in current Rockets coach Ime Udoka.

Two head coaches who are not currently available but said to interest the Knicks, according to league sources, are Dallas Jason Kidd and Houstons Ime Udoka.

Stein wrote.

New Yorks reported line of thinking makes sense.

Udoka, even prior to his current stint with Houston, had proven himself one of the best coaches in the league.

And helping the Rockets surge in the Western Conference in just a matters of years helps his stock.

With a Knicks roster fresh off the Eastern Conference Finals, there likely wouldnt be much drop-off, if any.

But Houston certainly wouldnt make that potential acquisition easy on New York.

One source with knowledge of the Rockets thinking told The Stein Line categorically that permission to speak with Udoka would be rejected if the Knicks requested it." The Rockets reported thinking makes sense, too.

Udoka has been a game-changing addition to the organization in recent years.

And with the team on the precipice of contention with growing to do, it would be a big loss should be head East, or anywhere else.

The Rockets saw one of the worst three-year stretches in league history from 2020 to 2023, but immediately saw success under Udoka, winning 41 games in his first season and 52 in the next.

Theres been zero indication during his Rockets tenure that Udoka would consider other jobs.

Hes been made a key part of the decision-making regarding the roster so far, and the team is trending up under his supervision.

Jay Wright and Johnnie Bryant are reportedly the most likely candidates to replace Tom Thibodeau for New York next season..

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