Brian Shaw doesn't expect to interview for Knicks: 'Kurt Rambis is there'
Brian Shaw told ESPN’s Hannah Storm that he doesn’t expect to interview for the New York Knicks‘ head-coaching vacancy.
“Kurt Rambis is there,” Shaw said on SportsCenter in explaining why he doesn’t anticipate to be interviewed. “He’s very adept at running the triangle, and if Phil Jackson wanted a coach that’s going to run that system for him, he has a guy that’s there that he has confidence in. So I don’t see him bringing in somebody else who has the knowledge of that system when he already has somebody there.”
Jackson has made it clear that he is committed to running the triangle, so Shaw’s comments suggest Rambis could be the Knicks’ next head coach.
The club hasn’t announced anything yet, but it’s no secret that Rambis is a strong candidate for New York’s head-coaching vacancy. In addition to considering Rambis, the Knicks have spoken to former Pacers coach Frank Vogel, former Cavaliers coach David Blatt and new Lakers coach Luke Walton about the job.
If Jackson has serious interest in Blatt or Vogel, he will likely have competition for their services. Blatt interviewed with the Houston Rockets on Monday, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Vogel has drawn interest from the Memphis Grizzlies, The Vertical reported, and he has also drawn interest from Houston.
The Sacramento Kings filled their vacancy Monday by hiring former Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Marc J. Spears, Joerger agreed to a contract worth $4 million annually.
Given that contract and the deals agreed to by other coaches in recent weeks, it’s worth wondering if the market for coaches could impact the Knicks’ search.
Luke Walton’s deal with the Lakers is reportedly worth $5-6 million annually, and Scott Brooks’ deal in Washington is worth a reported $7 million annually. Given these salaries, you’d think both Blatt and Vogel could command contracts worth at least $4 million per year.
Would Knicks owner James Dolan, who is already paying team president Phil Jackson and former Knicks coach Derek Fisher approximately $80 million in total, want to spend that kind of money on a new coach?
Dolan is known as an owner who never has an issue writing big checks, but it would be hard to argue with him if he drew a line here. The market for Rambis is unknown, of course, but logic dictates that hiring Rambis would be the least expensive transaction of those mentioned above. The finances are just one more factor to consider as we wait for the Knicks to hire a coach.
