Tom Thibodeau’s firing was the only solution for the New York Knicks’ ownership to get over the hump.
The New York Knicks may be one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA, but they have barely seen any success in the 21st Century.
Well, that was the case until Tom Thibodeau joined the team as the head coach in 2020. Since then, the Knicks have made four NBA postseason appearances, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025.
Coach Thibs deserves credit for it, but at the same time, he also deserves blame for being unable to get the team over the hump. With that said, Brooklyn Nets star Cam Thomas explained the Knicks ownership’s dilemma over firing coach Thibodeau.
Photo by Elsa/Getty ImagesCam Thomas says New York Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau didn’t shock him
There’s no denying the quality of the current Knicks roster, led by the dynamic duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
However, even star players cannot lead the team to glory without the backing of their head coach. In Thibodeau’s case, the reluctance to trust his bench and giving certain Knicks players astronomical minutes was bound to bite him back.
But did coach Thibs deserve to be fired over this? Well, Thomas believes the Knicks ownership had no other choice after the ECF exit.
“It’s kind of crazy to say this, but the initial thought now is no real shock, you know,” Thomas said on The Young Man and The Three podcast. “You kind of got to look at it from like a team building perspective.”
He added: “You know, it’s like, that team is a really good roster, and they’re really close. So I guess maybe the ownership [and] front office are just looking at it like, what can get us over the hump?
The Nets star concluded by stating: “I guess that’s the best solution they had.”
Whether it was really the ‘best solution’ or not, the Knicks fanbase will find out after seeing the team perform in the 2025-26 NBA season. Meanwhile, the top brass needs to find a quality head coach as Thibs’ replacement.
Tom Thibodeau’s firing will cost the New York Knicks $30 million
While coach Thibodeau may no longer be on the sidelines during games, he can take his time before potentially signing with another team.
After all, he signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension in July 2024. The contract would have expired after the 2027-28 NBA season.
However, since the Knicks sacked Thibs, he will still make a guaranteed $30 million even being ousted as the team’s head coach.
Worth noting: Knicks owe Tom Thibodeau at least $30 million guaranteed on his recently-signed extension, per sources. Also worth noting: NYK won a playoff series in 3 straight years under Thibodeau: from 2001 to 2020, they won just 1 series. He built winning foundation here.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 3, 2025
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So, unless the Knicks manage to win an NBA Championship soon, the decision to fire Thibodeau could financially haunt the team over the next three years.