Report: Knicks Will Interview Hawks Coach Mike Budenholzer and David Blatt for Opening
The Knicks are reportedly going to have interviews with Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, former Cavaliers coach David Blatt and Spurs assistant coach James Borrego, Adrian Wojnarowski and Ian Begley of ESPN.com report.
Budenholzer, who reportedly removed his name from consideration for the Suns head coach opening on Thursday, has been with Atlanta since 2013 after spending 17 years as an assistant in San Antonio. Begley reports Budenholzer will meet with the Knicks Sunday. Budenholzer, 48, is 213-197 in his five years in Atlanta, and missed the playoffs for the first time after going 24-58 this season.
Blatt spent a season and half in Cleveland where he helped guide the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference title in his his one full season before getting fired just 41 games into the 2015-16 campaign, when the Cleveland went on to end the season with its first championship in franchise history. He has been coaching in Turkey this season, but according to ESPN, Blatt has a good relationship with Knicks team president Steve Mills, and the team will come out to Europe next week for the interview. Blatt, 58, was 83-40 in his 123 games in Cleveland.
Borrego, 40, has been on NBA sidelines since 2003. He had a stint with the Spurs from 2003-2010 before going to the New Orleans Hornets for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. From there, he went to Orlando, where he was an assistant with the Magic for about two and a half seasons, and then spent 30 games in 2015 as the interim coach after Jacque Vaughn was fired.
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The Knicks reportedly have already interviewed Clippers assistant and former Knicks coach Mike Woodson, TNT analyst Kenny Smith, former Warriors coach and former Knick, ESPN analyst Mark Jackson, former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale and Jerry Stackhouse, according to ESPN.
