Despite having their best season this century, the New York Knicks moved on from head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday and have begun a search for a new bench boss.

Recently fired Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone would seem to be a strong candidate to fill the position for the Knicks. Given his championship resume and New York background, it could be a perfect fit. Malone led the Nuggets for a decade and is the winningest coach in franchise history at 471-327, as well as carrying a 44-36 record in the playoffs. Not only was he on the Knicks staff for two years early in his career, but he also coached in Madison Square Garden with his father, who was on New York’s staff multiple times. It’s in Queens where the younger Malone grew up, and he referenced his hometown many times while in Colorado.

However, there are a few reasons why oddsmakers do not even have Malone listed.

Teams rarely hire the same style of coach twice in a row. Thibodeau and Malone aren’t the same guy, but they have a lot of similarities, including the fact that they’re both disciples of former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy. All three are cut from the same old-school cloth and have big personalities to match their unique styles.

Thibs famously rides his starters extremely hard and does not dip into his bench much. Malone led the Nuggets for years, while the gulf between Denver’s starters’ success and the bench’s struggles was larger than any other team in the league.

“A guy that might trust his bench more, a guy that might be a little bit more lenient based on his principles,” Shams Charania reported on ESPN while stopping short of calling Thibs stubborn. “The Knicks want a guy who can build out the entire roster, can work with the front office, and is a bit more lenient on his strategies.”

Given Malone’s struggles in his 10 years leading the Nuggets to solve the bench issues — the same thing, it seems, that got Thibodeau fired — and his very public fight with Denver‘s front office, the fit doesn’t really work for what the Knicks could be looking for.

It’s likely for these reasons that oddsmakers do not even have Malone listed for the role, placing jokes like Stephen A. Smith on the board ahead of him. The leaders, per the books, are former Knicks lead assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson and former Hornets head coach James Borrego.

Knicks next coach odds:

Johnnie Bryant +240
Kenny Atkinson +400
James Borrego +950
Mike Budenholzer +950
Patrick Ewing +950
Sam Cassell +950
Frank Vogel +1100
Chris Quinn +1400
Jay Wright +1400
Mark Jackson +1400
Mike D’Antoni +2000
Becky Hammon (LVA) +2500
Jeff Van Gundy +2500… pic.twitter.com/inyiu66fHs

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 3, 2025

While the money might not be on Malone, there is some smoke to the rumor. As soon as Malone was let go by the Nuggets, there were whispers that New York would be interested.

On Tuesday, also on ESPN, even Kendrick Perkins also threw out Malone. The former center pointed out how weak the coaching market is this summer and how Malone’s resume matches that of a coach who can take players and teams to the next level. The Knicks don’t just need more depth, but also to cover up some defensive issues caused by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite leading a fantastic offense in Denver, Malone is a defensive coach and creating a solution for good defense around Nikola Jokic’s unique skills is one of the leader’s accomplishments.

“It might have to be Michael Malone. I mean when you talk about championship experience, what other coach is out there?”@KendrickPerkins thinks the former Denver Nuggets head coach could be a good fit for the New York Knicks 👀 pic.twitter.com/9v3zSUOSOu

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 3, 2025

Maybe the real reason Malone won’t be back on the bench this coming season is because his big $25 million buyout from Denver means he doesn’t have to work — and taking another coaching job will likely eat into what he’s already set to make.

The Nuggets have moved on, hiring Malone’s lead assistant, David Adelman — a man who is many ways opposite to Malone.