David Fizdale has “gained serious traction” in the Knicks coaching search, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.
Fizdale, 43, was the coach of the Grizzlies for parts of two seasons from 2016-18, racking up a 50-51 record. He guided Memphis to the playoffs in 2016-17, where the team was eliminated by San Antonio in the first round.
Memphis fired Fizdale in November after a 7-12 start to 2017-18. He also served as an NBA assistant for 13 seasons with the Warriors, Hawks and Heat.
The Knicks have interviewed 11 total candidates for their head coaching position, according to ESPN, including former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer and Warriors assistant Mike Brown, to replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired in April after two seasons.
New York has also spoken with ESPN analyst Mark Jackson, Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Raptors G League coach Jerry Stackhouse, among others, ESPN’s report says.
New York was 29-53 in 2017-18 and missed the playoffs for a fifth straight season. Star forward Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL in February and is not expected back until at least midway through next season.
