Knicks Inch Closer to Adding Offensive Coordinator

The New York Knicks have made headway in padding their upcoming coaching staff for Mike Brown's first season as the team's head coach, as he has several key spots still left to fill.

According to ESPN's Frank IsolaThis, the Knicks are "moving closer" to adding veteran assistant coach Chris Jent to New York's upcoming bench, ideally in an offensive coordinator role.

The Knicks and Chris Jent are moving closer to an agreement to add Jent to Mike Brown’s staff, according to a source. Jent, a one-time Knick, would be the team’s offensive coordinator. When Brown coached the Sacramento Kings, Jordi Fernandez was in charge of the offense.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) August 8, 2025

This would be a big add for New York's front office, whose pursuit of Brown's support system has resembled the early goings of their head coaching search. There, too, they heard a lot of no's, grasping wildly at any coach with a pulse before settling on the 2x Coach of the Year winner in Brown thanks to his decorated resume and how he profiles as a fit for the Knicks' goals of contention.

They've been turned down amidst various attempts at trying to pull coaches from around the league over to New York, with assistants like Minnesota's Pablo Prigioni, Dallas' Jay Triano, New Orleans' James Borrego and, most recently, Indiana's Mike Weinar fizzling out as potential sidekicks for Brown, making Jent look like the first big add they've made since finding the new head coach.

Jent, a one-time Knick himself during his playing days, has since transitioned into one of the longer-tenured traveling assistants in the NBA. He's cut his teeth on various benches with 18 seasons spread over seven different teams, including a brief stint as an interim lead coach with the 2004-05 Orlando Magic.

He recently made regular appearances during both years of the Darvin Ham-led Los Angeles Lakers, who's also seen his named thrown into recent Knicks rumors. Jent spent last season with the Charlotte Hornets, where he's still employed, but has shown interest in reuniting with Brown after an abbreviated stint together with the 2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Mike Brown — Mar 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown reacts during a game against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 90-76. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Jent would fill in as one of Brown's top offensive-minds, an important position for a group of scorers like the Knicks have accumulated. Complaints surrounded the previous year's campaign after questions as to how the team's two best players in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns worked together from possession to possession.

Brown's attempted to reunite with several top assistants from around the league, with several failed tries at figures who helped with his Sacramento Kings operation from the last three years.

Triano opted to remain with the Mavericks while Doug Christie transitioned from the team's interim into their guaranteed coach entering opening night, leaving Brown to dig deep into his bag in helping to invite an old friend to New York.

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