Why is it a growing concern that the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau with no plan? To be honest, his firing seemed out of the blue in the first place. And a bit undeserved for man who took an overachieving team to their first ECF in 25 years. But they can’t look back anymore. Looking ahead, they’ve had three coaches on their list: Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and Chris Finch. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported both Finch and Udoka to be out of contention. But third time’s the charm, right? Apparently not.

The Mavericks rebuffed that first swing. Shams confirmed that the Knicks’ pursuit of Kidd is now considered over. And they failed at the first hurdle. It was a pretty well-known deal to be honest. Nico Harrison might’ve let go of Luka Doncic, but letting go of Jason Kidd would’ve been career and franchise suicide. The Post did confirm that there might be mutual interest in the Hall of Famer and the Big Apple. So we can’t really rule anything out for sure. But for now, Shams says it’s over.

“The New York Knicks requested permission Wednesday morning to speak to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd – and Dallas gave a firm rejection, sources tell ESPN,” said the reporter on his socials. Kidd is on a contract through 2026-27, so he’d have to force his way out of the Mavs if the New York dream is to come to fruition.

Alright, so that’s over for now. What’s next on the menu? It’s still the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. So regardless of their shortlist, they’ll have managers lined up to take the top job in the NBA. But who’s on it? Turns out there’s as many as 4 managers probable to take over Thibs’ throne. So let’s break it down.

Mavs’ Jason Kidd rejection leaves Leon Rose with 4 possible options

GM Leon Rose finds his Knicks conducting one of the most closely watched coaching searches in the NBA. All of the Mavs, Rockets, and Timberwolves have given their no’s to stealing their managers. And to be honest, none of the other 26 seem to be on the brink of a sacking. So the help will have to come from the outside. That leaves them with 4 candidates: Jeff Van Gundy, Sam Cassell, Michael Malone, and Mark Johnson.

Why don’t we dissect the obvious suspect first. Michael Malone has been out of a job since his own surprising dismissal from the Nuggets gig. He clearly stands out as the most accomplished candidate among the four. His father, Brendan Malone, had three separate tenures as a Knicks assistant coach, and Michael was born in Queens, creating deep familial ties to the organization. It all seems likely from these angles. And Mike definitely is the most likely of the quartet of managerial pedigrees.

Cassell has been vocal about his desire to become an NBA head coach. While there have been no direct reports of the Knicks formally pursuing the Celtics assistant, his name has surfaced in discussions about potential candidates. But there’s something Cassell lacks that the others don’t. Why don’t we let Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell tell us why: “But in that particular market, right now, they are looking for a marquee name. Sam’s name isn’t a marquee name as he hasn’t been a head coach before,” said Maxwell on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast.

Mark Jackson hasn’t been in an NBA dugout since his Warriors gig ended in 2014. He has experience in building rosters that eventually became champions. But the Knicks’ pursuit of immediate success might bring him out of contention. As for Jeff Van Gundy, well – he was last coach to lead the Knicks to the NBA Finals. But that might be a case of looking too far backwards than forwards. They genuinely have a better shot of getting Kidd into the fray instead.

So, the Knicks pursuit for a new coach takes a brand new turn. There’s absolutely no clue on who’ll be the new manager for now. Jason Kidd’s reported interest could be a cause for the Knicks to knock on the door again. But if not him, do you see any of the other four candidates taking the gig?