Beyond the NBA Draft and free agency, the Knicks have another big item on their agenda this offseason: Tom Thibodeau's contract extension.
Thibodeau is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension.
After the Knicks' 130-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 on Sunday, Thibodeau was asked about an extension. He said he'll leave it to his agent to take care of business, but added that he wants to stay in New York.
"The Knicks have been great to me. This is where I want to be," Thibodeau said.
The Athletic's Sam Amick previously reported that Thibodeau was hoping to secure a long-term extension with the Knicks. Coaching salaries have exploded in the last two years, and Amick reported that Thibodeau's salary was around $7 million per year.
Since Thibodeau took over as head coach in 2020, the Knicks have gone 175-143, with three playoff appearances and two playoff series wins.
The 2023-24 season was arguably Thibodeau's best with the Knicks, as he helped lead the group through numerous injuries to key rotation players. Players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Precious Achiuwa all had career-best years this season, and not just because they played big minutes.
Often criticized as a coach who is slow to adjust, Thibodeau not only frequently tweaked his rotation, but innovated on the offensive end to help elevate a short-handed group.
Of course, perhaps the most common criticism of Thibodeau's coaching is that he runs players into the ground with heavy minutes. The Knicks' top players certainly played huge minutes this season, and it likely played a role in their injuries in the postseason. However, it's difficult to separate Thibodeau's preference for playing his top players big minutes with circumstance — for much of 2024, the Knicks were limited in who they could even play.
Knicks players, to a man, have defended Thibodeau and voiced their support for him. Brunson said after Game 7 that Thibodeau is "the reason why night-in and night-out we fight to the best of our abilities."
