“You don’t fire Thibodeau with three years and $30 million on a contract extension that won’t kick in until next season because you lose in the conference finals. You fire Thibodeau because you want to. But it’s unclear where the Knicks go from here,” said Yahoo! Sports reporter Vincent Goodwill in his recent report. Though Tom Thibodeau was expected to be on the chopping block, firing the head coach under whom the team had their best run in 25 years was still a surprise. Now, to ensure the Knicks continue to progress, the team needs an experienced coach. Unfortunately, the team’s recent attempts to secure a star coach and reunite a former coach-player duo have been unsuccessful.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the New York Knicks had reportedly requested permission to speak to Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, along with Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka. The purpose, of course, was to see whether either would be interested in transferring to another team. Unfortunately, both teams denied the Knicks’ request.

This news is certainly unfortunate. After all, acquiring Chris Finch would have once again made him and Karl-Anthony Towns part of the same team. The duo had been together for almost 3 years before Towns was traded to the New York Knicks in one of the most shocking trades of last year’s off-season.

The duo certainly shared a close bond, with Finch often showering his praise on the now 29-year-old. The trade certainly hit Finch hard. When Towns first faced off against his former team during a matchup back in October 2024, Finch admitted, “It was a little weird for sure seeing him out there in a different uniform. Looks good on him. He played well. But, yeah, it’s like a death in the family in some ways. You got to make it through that first year, and everything is going to be a little odd.”

Moving on, it is no secret why the Knicks would want someone like Chris Finch. Throughout 5 seasons, Finch has helped his teams boast a cumulative 209-160 record. That record is reportedly the highest winning percentage (56.6%) of any coach in franchise history. He has led the Timberwolves to back-to-back Western Conference Finals, transforming the squad into a constant playoff contender.

Sure, his player rotations and lack of offensive scheme have reportedly not been well-received. However, he can work through that with a team that is known to have its starters play a lot of minutes. Furthermore, Finch’s presence could have helped resolve the defensive issues that put Karl-Anthony Towns under fire by NBA fans after the Knicks’ Conference Finals elimination.

Though there is no way of knowing, the Knicks front office might not have given up on fighting for the head coach. After all, Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t the only former connection the team has with them.

ESPN analyst highlighted Knicks link—not Towns—that could have drawn in Chris Finch

The discussion about Chris Finch being potentially pursued by the New York Knicks existed for quite a while. Former NBA players Stephen Jackson & Vernon Maxwell were amongst those who had dismissed his pick. Jackson said, “Chris Finch, I don’t think he’s in a position, and has a big enough name to be wanted in New York. He, I don’t think he’ll make it to New York.”

Moving on, if there was any concern that Finch would be surrounded by strangers at Madison Square Garden, Brian Windhorst informed that it wasn’t going to be the case. During a recent episode of ‘The Hoop Collective’ podcast on ‘NBA on ESPN,’ Windhorst highlighted, “Do keep in mind that Chris Finch was hired in Minnesota at the middle of the season by Gersson Rosas, who is one of Leon Rose’s top lieutenants.”

Serving as Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks certainly gives Gersson Rosas lots of power within the Knicks organization. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if it were found out that approaching the Minnesota Timberwolves for Chris Finch was his idea.

According to Athlon Sports reporter Cholo Martin Magsino, Rosas was “the architect of Finch’s initial Timberwolves hiring.” After all, he was serving as the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations when Finch was recruited back in 2021. Rosas was nothing but in praise of the head coach after recruiting him, saying in an official statement that “Chris brings a wealth of basketball experience from his time in the NBA, G League, and internationally. He is one of the most creative basketball minds in the NBA, has success maximizing players, and I am excited to see him bring our team to the next level and beyond.”

Rosas did not get to see the effect that the coach had on the team first-hand, since he was fired later that same year. However, just like any NBA fan out there, he has seen Finch’s effort in getting the team to the Conference Finals in 2 consecutive years.

Well, a Chris Finch-Gersson Rosas reunion is out of the question for now. Therefore, where the Knicks head next after this is something that will be interesting to watch.