Tom Thibodeau isn’t exactly chomping at the bit to get back into the NBA as quickly as possible.
Appearing this week on ESPN, the former Minnesota Timberwolves coach downplayed rumors linking him to the New York Knicks and other teams.
“They’re just rumors,” said Thibodeau, per the New York Post’s Marc Berman. “And this time of year, everything is on hold. Normally you would have some openings and right now there aren’t any. So you don’t want to speculate on what jobs could open. That’s what you have an agent for. He’ll certainly, at some point, look if there is an opportunity, whether it’s a good match or not.”
The 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year also pointed out that he was still owed another year on his contract with the Timberwolves after his 2019 firing.
“I’m still under contract with Minnesota, so I feel like I’m in a position where I can be patient,” Thibodeau added.
The Knicks have been the most popular rumored destination with Thibodeau’s background as a former Knicks assistant and his very close relationship with president Leon Rose. They fired head coach David Fizdale in December and interim coach Mike Miller has gone 17-27 since taking over.
Thibodeau is also expected to draw interest from a number of playoff teams, so he can afford to sit back and wait for the market to fully develop.
