Report: Knicks have better chance at Durant if they hire Scott Brooks

By Brett Pollakoff
Published

The Knicks fired Derek Fisher as head coach this week, and Kurt Rambis will have a good chance at earning the role moving forward thanks to his long-time relationship with Phil Jackson, and his willingness to run the triangle offense.

But there are other factors in play which may make other candidates more desirable.

New York needs to build a strong foundation in order for free agents to consider the team a desirable destination, and having a proven head coach can help immensely in creating a positive team culture. One with prior relationships to star players can be beneficial, too, which is why Scott Brooks (via ESPN.com) may be on the radar for the Knicks this summer.

Brooks is a name to think about, for one reason: The Knicks have been informed that their chances of landing Kevin Durant this summer would be influenced by hiring Brooks, according to league sources.

New York faces long odds to land Durant to begin with. And their chances took a hit after Derek Fisher was fired, league sources say. As noted here previously, Fisher was going to be a factor in Durant's free agency this summer. But hiring Brooks could get Durant's attention.

Brooks, of course, coached Kevin Durant for seven seasons in Oklahoma City, before the franchise made a bold change in what could possibly be Durant's final Thunder season.

Reports like these are usually agent-driven, and are intended to plant seeds inside an organization to make an out-of-work coach seem like a desirable replacement. Brooks is a good NBA head coach who should probably get another shot, but the Knicks won't hire anyone based on the mere potential to land a big star in free agency without the proper assurances.