The New York Knicks have been linked to a wide range of head coaching candidates since parting ways with Jeff Hornacek earlier this month and Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer recently emerged to join that list.
While Budenholzer is still actively employed in Atlanta, the former NBA Coach of the Year interviewed with the Phoenix Suns (before removing himself from consideration) and has been at least tangentially tied to a potential pursuit of the Milwaukee Bucks job when and if it becomes available in the near future. With that said, a report from Marc Berman of the New York Post sheds more light on Budenholzer’s potential candidacy in New York that could be quite interesting on both sides.
The report indicates that Budenholzer is “genuinely interested” in New York’s vacancy and goes on to cite an NBA source in saying that the Knicks are Budenholzer’s “top choice” to the point where he would take the job if offered. That, in itself, is significant news, as Budenholzer is seen by many as the best available head coach, even with his active contractual ties to the Hawks. Still, the notion that Budenholzer would be that enthused with the Knicks over the Hawks also speaks to his potential issues in Atlanta.
The Post report details that Budenholzer “appears so disillusioned” with Atlanta’s choice to rebuild, and in some ways, that makes sense. Prior to the 2017-2018 season, Budenholzer was stripped of personnel power as the Haws hired former Warriors staffer Travis Schlenk as the team’s general manager. Immediately, Schlenk began to execute what could be a lengthy rebuild, and in addition to the dynamics of a head coach losing power to his new boss, the new direction of Atlanta’s franchise was in apparent contrast to the vision Budenholzer oversaw during his time at the head of the front office.
Fast-forward to now, and an obvious question would center on why Budenholzer would look to escape from a rebuild in Atlanta, only to land in a rebuild elsewhere in Phoenix, and now New York. As noted by the Post, it could be product of mutual interest in a parting of ways with the Hawks, as the new regime in Atlanta famously did not hire Budenholzer, while they owe him a considerably higher salary than a typical head coach would command over the next two seasons.
On the New York side, an easy argument could be made, at least from a roster standpoint, that the Knicks are far closer to winning than the Hawks are at this stage. New York boasts a legitimate blue-chipper in Kristaps Porzingis, something the Hawks cannot yet argue pending the results of May’s NBA Draft Lottery, and the Knicks have other roster pieces that are far more conditioned to a quick turnaround than that of the Hawks.
Still, there is the always-lingering issue of Knicks ownership, and with $13 million reportedly guaranteed in Atlanta, Budenholzer would likely need a considerable commitment from New York (or any other franchise) in order to peacefully depart from his current setup.
Because the Knicks have been tied to a myriad of candidates, there is no indication (yet) that the front office has zeroed in on Budenholzer. Still, it is undeniable that he would be a vast upgrade on most of the available options. If the Knicks could add an above-average head coach to the mix while avoiding Knicks-like foibles in free agency, an interesting product could emerge in the near future.
