The New York Knicks are reportedly nearing a decision to name Mike Brown their next head coach. Simultaneously, they are also considering James Borrego, currently an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans, as a prime candidate for their top assistant coaching role, according to Marc Stein. Borrego was one of four individuals interviewed for the head coaching position itself last week.
According to Stein, the Pelicans would prefer Borrego stay with them as the primary assistant to Willie Green. NBA regulations permit teams to block assistant coaches from making lateral moves if they are under contract. Should the Pelicans prevent the Knicks from hiring Borrego, it would reflect a pattern during this coaching search, as the Knicks have reportedly encountered difficulties in gaining permission to speak with currently employed coaches from other teams.
Borrego has no prior experience working alongside Mike Brown and has spent the majority of his career primarily in the opposite conference.
Borrego`s interview for the Knicks` head coaching job occurred three years after his most recent role as a full-time head coach. He led the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons (2018-22), compiling a 138-163 record and missing the playoffs each year. Before that, he had a brief interim head coaching stint with the Orlando Magic in the 2014-15 season, going 10-20 over 30 games.
Borrego joined the Pelicans` coaching staff as an assistant over a year after being dismissed by the Hornets. This marks his second period with the New Orleans franchise, having previously served as an assistant from 2010 to 2012.
Some of the most successful periods of Borrego`s career were at his initial NBA team. He entered the league in 2003 with the San Antonio Spurs, following a brief stop at his alma mater, the University of San Diego, and was part of two championship-winning teams alongside head coach Gregg Popovich.
The Knicks` head coaching vacancy is currently the only one in the league and was expected to be appealing due to the roster`s talent. The team, featuring key players led by Jalen Brunson, finished the regular season with 51 wins, their best performance since the 2012-13 season. Their journey to the Eastern Conference Finals represented their deepest playoff run since 2000. However, they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the series, losing their chance to reach the NBA Finals after dropping their home-court advantage.
Jasper Hawthorne