By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Tom Thibodeau will still be the head coach of the New York Knicks after the franchise decided to extend him to a three-year contract announced on July 25, 2024.
The major development for the New York off-season was confirmed by ESPN veteran NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski but specific details including the yearly salary and the term clauses are yet to be announced.
Under the leadership of Thibodeau, the Knicks had a consistent playoff qualification for three years and nearly made the Eastern Conference Finals last NBA season.
Thibodeau had a stellar run with New York during the recently concluded season after steering the franchise to an impressive win-loss record of 50-32, their best finish since the 2012-2013 season when they tallied 54-28.
More importantly, Thibodeau led the team to a stunning upset first series win over Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers even without his superstar power forward Julius Randle.
However, New York lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinal round, exiting the post-season after a Game 7 loss at the hands of Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of the squad.
Before re-signing the seasoned chief tactician, the Knicks became the first team in the NBA to renew deals with their multiple stars and added the services of former Brooklyn Nets versatile swingman Mikal Bridges.
After securing Bridges to a deal, the Knicks then lured OG Anunoby back, forcing him out of the free agent market while also re-signing Jalen Brunson to a multi-year contract.
New York kept almost its entire core except for Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Hartenstein who received respective offers from the Brooklyn Nets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively.
