Former Knicks forward David Lee gave a glowing testimonial of his former coach Mark Jackson, who is in the running to become the Knicks next head coach. 

After the team fired Jeff Hornacek on the back of another disappointing season, Jackson has become a hot name to replace him. If the Knicks were to appoint the former Warriors coach, Lee believes it'd be a smart decision.

"He has a very smart perspective looking at the game,'' Lee said...

The Knicks' head coaching search will take them overseas. 

New York is expected to travel to Europe to meet with former Cavaliers head coach David Blatt some time next week, per EPSN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ian Begley. 

Blatt became the head coach of the Cavaliers back in 2014, where he led Cleveland to the NBA Finals. However, his team would lose to the Spurs. He would coach the Cavs the next season as well, however, he was fired after 41 games.

The Knicks have set up yet another interview for their head coach vacancy, as Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer will meet with the team Sunday, per ESPN's Ian Begley.

It was reported earlier by Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Michael Cunningham that Atlanta granted the Knicks permission to speak with Budenholzer.

The list of candidates New York has includes former coaches, but Budenholzer makes the first current NBA head coach to receive an interview. He has been at the helm for the Hawks since Atlanta made him head coach before the 2013-14 season, where he led his team to a modest 38-44 record. However, next season saw a major change with a 60-22 record and 16 postseason games. 

Talk to Jerry Stackhouse's players with the Raptors 905 G League team, and they say he would make a tremendous NBA coach.

The former North Carolina star reportedly interviewed for the Knicks opening this week, and has also been linked to the openings in Charlotte and Orlando.

"Everybody knows where Stack wants to go and everybody knows he wants to go to the NBA, so I think we all know that's the next step in his career," Andre Washington, a 7-foot-1 center with the Raptors 905 G League team, said by phone. "Whether he's back or not next year, I'd love for him to be my coach next year but if not I'd be happy for him either way."

Jake Brown | Twitter: The Knicks interviewing Kenny Smith has to be out of courtesy or a favor from Scott Perry. There shouldn't be a chance in the world that Smith actually receives the head coaching job. If he does, it will quite possibly be the shocker of the century.

Perry knows, despite telling the media the contrary, that a guy with no experience just isn't a fit for this job at this point. The Knicks are not in a position where they can go with a rookie head coach. They have enough youth and inexperience on the roster. The last thing they could use at this point of their rebuild is someone who hasn't done the job elsewhere. In fact, the Knicks have only hired one head coach with zero experience, which was Derek Fisher, and we all know how that turned out.

With the right team in the right situation, hiring a head coach without experience would make sense. The Warriors hiring Steve Kerr made sense because he was coaching a stacked roster that had enough talent to win championships and start a dynasty. Kerr also had some experience in the front office as the GM with the Suns.

Knicks owner James Dolan has no definitive answer on when Kristaps Porzingis will return from a torn ACL-- he might even sit out all of next season. 

ACL recoveries typically take 6-to-9 months, but the Knicks could be without Porzingis for more than a year after he went down in early February. The injury happened as he fell awkwardly after a dunk against the Bucks.

"I've been told everything from December to him being out for the season, so I don't know what to expect on that," Dolan told Larry Brooks of NY Post. "But we can't just sit on our [expletive] while he's away. We need to develop a team and then integrate him into it when he comes back."

The 22-year-old Porzingis was averaging 22.9 points through 47 games for the Knicks in his third NBA season.

Knicks GM Scott Perry said that head coaching experience in the NBA doesn't matter in their search for a new head coach, and it looks like they weren't bluffing. 

The Knicks are expected to conduct an interview with former NBA player and current TNT analyst Kenny Smith on Friday, per ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.  

Smith, who has never coached at the professional or collegiate level, has been a head coach candidate in the past. He interviewed to be the head coach of his former Rockets team back in 2016, but the job eventually went to former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.

MSG executive chairman James Dolan is currently searching for two head coaches, with the Knicks and Rangers letting Jeff Hornacek and Alain Vigneault go just hours after they completed their final regular season games. For Hornacek, in particular, Dolan says he wasn't adapting to the way players deal with coaches and management in today's game. That was the main reason the Knicks wanted to make a change. 

"I think Hornacek had the same kind of issue that Phil did in that he didn't grasp how different the players are now in the way they think and deal with management and the coaches," Dolan told The Post's Larry Brooks. "I think he was way behind on that. 

Jake Brown | Twitter | James Dolan had to react to why the Knicks needed a change from Jeff Hornacek...even though Dolan isn't the go-to guy for how to do your job. We all know Dolan is far from one of the better owners in sports, but that's another story for another day. Dolan is 100 percent right on Hornacek not being able to grasp how different players are now and how they deal with coaches. It's a completely different game from when Hornacek played in the NBA in the 90's, and Hornacek just doesn't relate with the players. He wasn't the voice that the Knicks needed. The best part about Dolan saying that about both Hornacek and Phil Jackson is that...he hired them...

David Fizdale, who is one of the Knicks' head-coaching candidates, has one endorsement that says he will be great with whoever decides to employ him next season. 

Before becoming the head coach of the Grizzlies, Fizdale spent eight seasons with the Heat after his stint in Atlanta. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra met Fizdale in 2006, and kept him on his staff once he got the head job in 2008. 

Spolestra had nothing but praises for one of his "best friends" when asked what he brings to the table for any team looking for a new head coach next season. 

After all the great minds he has been mentored by and the years of NBA playing time under his belt, coaching has always been in Jerry Stackhouse's future. 

At least, that is what former NBA head coach and current Alabama head coach Avery Johnson saw in his former player.

Stackhouse is in town this week to meet with Knicks execs as the first head coaching candidate for the vacant position in Madison Square Garden. And though he may not have NBA head coaching experience, Johnson says not to underestimate his coaching prowess.

Former Golden State Warriors coach and current NBA analyst Mark Jackson will reportedly interview for the Knicks' head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes.

Jackson, who spent seven seasons as a Knicks point guard and played 17 years in the NBA, is among several candidates New York is bringing in for interviews as Jeff Hornacek's replacement.

Though the Knicks have contacted his representatives, New York doesn't seem interested in a reunion with former head coach Jeff Van Gundy, per ESPN's Ian Begley.

Van Gundy said that he would be open to talking to the Knicks, who he was head coach for parts of seven seasons. That interest, though, doesn't seem neutral.

Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry reached out to Jeff Van Gundy's representatives on Saturday as the team searches for a new head coach following the firing of Jeff Hornacek, reports the New York Post.

The Knicks not only have former players in their head coach candidates pool. A former coach could see a New York reunion as well.

Buzz has already surrounded around the Knicks going after former coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, as they contacted his representatives. It also appears that interest in former Knicks head coach Mike Woodson is a possibility as well.

The Clippers, who he has been an assistant coach with since former team president Phil Jackson fired him after the 2013-14 season, has given the Knicks permission to speak with Woodson. 

The Knicks are planning to meet this week with head coaching candidates David Fizdale, Mark Jackson, and Jerry Stackhouse, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Oklahoma point guard Trae Young is expected to work out for the Knicks once NBA Draft workouts begin, his father told SNY.tv.

"Of course," Rayford Young said from Los Angeles, where Trae is working out, adding that it's "too early" to set any dates.

NBA Draft workouts typically don't begin until late May and early June.

Young announced Friday that he had signed with Octagon, where he will be represented by agents Omar Wilkes and Jeff Austin.

The Daily News reported that David Fizdale will interview with the Knicks for their vacant head coaching position.

With the Knicks' search for a new head coach already underway, here is a look at the top candidates for the position in its early stages.

Mark Jackson

Jackson is one of top names that come up when people talk about who may become the next Knicks head coach. He obviously had success here as a player from 1987-1992, and then returned from 2000-2002 towards the end of his playing career. He was a fan favorite and always played hard, especially on the defensive end.

Knicks star F Kristaps Porzingis will be present at his exit meeting this season, per ESPN's Ian Begley.

The Latvian big man infamously skipped his exit meeting with former team president Phil Jackson last season, as he was publicly verbal about his displeasure with the team's dysfunction. Though the losing narrative hasn't changed, the Knicks' front office has seen a significant change with team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry in place. 

Porzingis, who is currently rehabbing his torn ACL, went back to Latvia instead of sitting in his exit interview last year. He stayed out of contact with the Knicks as he trained for the European Championship with the Latvia national team.

Knicks GM Scott Perry said the team does not yet have a plan regarding center Joakim Noah for the 2018-19 season but will evaluate all options.

"We're going to visit the Joakim situation again as we go through the offseason," Perry said, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "And you know we won't take any options off the table for that matter."

The 33-year-old Noah appeared in just seven games this season, averaging 1.7 points and two rebounds in the second year of a four-year, $72 million contract.

Noah did not appear in a game since a heated altercation with now former head coach Jeff Hornacek on Jan. 25. New York did not trade him at the deadline, nor did it place him on waivers during the regular season.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Knicks center Enes Kanter says he's leaning toward opting out of his $18.6 million player option for the 2018-19 season to seek a longer-term deal with the Knicks.

"You could say that, yes," Kanter said Thursday at the Knicks facility after coach Jeff Hornacek was fired. "I'm not saying I'm in or out 100 percent. I'm just saying I want to stay here long term."

Kanter, who arrived before training camp in the Carmelo Anthony trade with Oklahoma City, will huddle with his new agent Mark Bartelstein soon to discuss his options.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- When Kristaps Porzingis next plays for the Knicks, he will do so for his fourth coach.

The 7-foot-3 Latvian unicorn has already played for Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Jeff Hornacek, who was fired Thursday morning.

Whoever is named the next head coach will have to develop a good relationship with Porzingis, the franchise's cornerstone player moving forward.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Along with hiring their next head coach, the Knicks also have several major decisions to make with regard to the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Knicks have two picks in the June 21 Draft at Barclays Center, currently slated at Nos. 9 and 37, per Tankathon.com. GM Scott Perry said Thursday the franchise has "no timetable" on hiring a new coach, and it remains unclear if a coach will be in place before the NBA Draft Lottery (May 15), the NBA Combine (May 16-20), or the Draft itself.

"We have a high draft pick coming up this year in the lottery, we also have a higher second-round pick as well to add to our talent mix," Knicks GM Scott Perry said Thursday at the Knicks facility. "And so we've really created a very holistic approach in terms of how we've gone about our scouting, very detailed and organized, so we're just confident in a lot of processes that have been put in place here that we believe will bear fruit as we move forward."

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Soon after the news broke early Thursday morning that the organization had fired Jeff Hornacek, the Knicks' brass began getting phone calls from people interested in the head coaching job.

Knicks GM Scott Perry declined to reveal any names or give out a list but said people are already lining up to succeed Hornacek.

"This morning we started getting calls," Perry said at the Knicks training facility. "We have not talked to the official candidates yet but we've gotten calls from their representatives. I left my phone in my office. I will probably have about 20 [messages] when I get back in there. ...\ We feel this will be a very attractive job to a lot of candidates."

Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry talked Thursday about the firing of head Jeff Hornacek, the qualities they're seeking in a new head coach, and the need for patience as the team continues its rebuild.

"We want to win in a way that's sustainable," Perry said. "And we want to build it organically through the organization." Mills added that they want to build a culture within the organization "that stands for something."

Noting that they're seeking a head coach who is "equally aligned" with his and Mills' vision, Perry exlained that "patience is required," adding that the Knicks can't "skip steps."

In the wake of the Knicks firing head coach Jeff Hornacek, names of more than a half dozen candidates have emerged, with former coach Jeff Van Gundy among them. 

ESPN's Ian Begley told SNY that Van Gundy will be an "interesting" name to watch, and Frank Isola of the NY Daily News told SNY he believes Van Gundy "still has an attachment to The Garden and to the Knicks."

Begley noted that he wouldn't put Doc Rivers high on the list, and that David Fizdale "checks off a lot of boxes."

With Jeff Hornacek relieved of his duties following the Knicks' final game of the season Wednesday night, the search for a new head coach is on for team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry. 

The Knicks wants someone who can be an anchor for their rebuild while furthering the process as quickly as possible. That is why the team is expected to contact Villanova's head coach Jay Wright, per the Daily News' Frank Isola.

Wright has built Nova into a Big East as well as a nationwide powerhouse with his Wildcats winning two of the last three NCAA National Championship titles. But this won't be the first time Wright will be asked to leave college ball for the NBA. 

Jeff Hornacek was "dismissed" as head coach of the Knicks early on Thursday morning, the team announced.

Hornacek was informed of the decision by Knicks President Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry after the team returned from their season finale in Cleveland. Along with Hornacek, assistant coach Kurt Rambis was also let go.

Jake Brown | Twitter | After 2 seasons and a miserable 60-104 record, the Jeff Hornacek era is finally over. What a nightmare the last two seasons have been for the New York Knicks. The only good times this team had came in the first 30 games this year and last year. After that, this team could not stop losing, and it got painful to watch. The head coach gets the blame for that, and there was just no chance that Hornacek was going to be back to coach the team next season...

The Knicks may have ending their season on a high note with a win over the Cavs Wednesday night. But it wasn't ideal as their dropped to the ninth seed in the NBA Draft Lottery. 

A loss would have had the Knicks tied for the eighth seed. Instead, they now have a 1.7 percent chance of winning the lottery and 6.1 percent chance of earning a top-three pick in June's draft. 

With the Knicks in the middle of a rebuild, the Draft is paramount in adding talent for the future. Last season, PG Frank Ntilikina and SF Damyean Dotson were selected in the first and second rounds respectively. The 19-year-old Ntilikina had a solid rookie campaign, but needs to work on his offensive abilities to go along with his stellar defensive prowess. Dotson saw significant time at the end of the season, where he opened eyes to his dynamic scoring abilities.

Luke Kornet led the Knicks with a career-high 23 points, as they captured a 110-98 win over the Cavs in their final game of the 2017-18 season. >> Box Score

Kornet shot 9-for-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also had three rebounds, two assists, and a block for the night. 

Frank Ntilikina continued his hot play to end the season with 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting as well as four rebounds and four assists. Trey Burke totaled 19 points with nine assists and five boards. 

The best thing the Knicks have going for them now is rookie Frank Ntilikina, who scored a career-high 17 points to go with six rebounds and five assists Monday. Before Monday's game, James said Ntilikina was "a very cerebral basketball player. >> Read more 

Jeff Hornacek is confident his team is on the verge of being competitive, and he's preaching patience on Wednesday in advance of what could be his final game as Knicks head coach.

"Sometimes people are wanting things to happen right away, but sometimes there's patience," he told reporters. "That's what we're looking for."

The Knicks stated before the beginning of this season that they are in a rebuild stage, and that showed with a very young roster led by star F Kristaps Porzingis. However, injuries and lack of talent saw the Knicks lose more than 50 games yet again...

Cavaliers star F LeBron James was back in New York on Monday night, and he wanted all in MSG to know that he still believes he is "King of New York."

In fact, it was written on his signature shoe.

James flaunted his Nike LeBron 15 sneakers in black and red, but it was the message written on the back that caught everyone's eyes. The words "I'm" and "King." were seen on the left and right shoe respectively.

Cavaliers forwards Kevin Love and LeBron James each scored over 20 points, as Cleveland cruised to a 123-109 win over the Knicks. >> Box Score

James recorded a double-double with 26 points and 11 assists, while Love shot an even 50 percent from the field (9-for-18) for a game-high 28 points on the night. 

The Cavaliers' bench also contributed as former Knick J.R. Smith and Jordan Clarkson had 16 points apiece, and Larry Nance Jr. tallied 10 points. 

The Knicks have gone 4-16 in their last 20 games, averaging 105.5 points per game, and that includes 128-, 124-, and 122-point nights. Remove those and New York averaged 102.

Hurting the Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle) remains out.

Solution for New York: The emergence of rookie second-round pick Damyean Dotson, a two-way player with the G-League's Westchester Knicks. Dotson had 30 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes in the team's surprising 122-98 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday. >> Read more 

LeBron James of the Cavaliers, who is set to become a free agent after the season, didn't have much of a reaction to the billboard that recently went up near Madison Square Garden that calls for him to sign with the Knicks.

"Same reaction that I've had for every last one of them this year," James said Monday, according to Stefan Bondy of the NY Daily News. "I think it's very humbling that cities and organizations want me to play for them especially at this juncture of my career. So that's it."

LeBron's friend Dwyane Wade had a short and sweet response last week when asked about the billboard...

NEW YORK -- The Knicks are only about two months away from the 2018 NBA Draft where they figure to have a lottery pick who could impact the franchise's fortunes for years to come.

NEW YORK (AP) Eric Bledsoe had 22 points and 10 assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks moved into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 115-102 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

Back in the playoffs for the second straight year for the first time since 2003 and 2004, the Milwaukee Bucks can hardly afford a second straight slip-up when they face the New York Knicks on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

With LeBron James set to become a free agent after this season, Knicks fans have begun courting King James with billboards.

And who better to ask about their chances than LeBron's friend Dwyane Wade, who was in town with the Heat to play the Knicks on Friday night. Suffice to say, Wade didn't exactly give fans reason to start making Knicks jerseys with 'James' on the back...

As another basketball season draws to a close, the Knicks host the Bucks for their 79th game of the season. Just as many other seasons have ended for the team this century, they are left jostling for lottery position rather than playoff seeding.

Against Giannis Antetokounmpo and co., the Knicks will be without Emmanuel Mudiay (concussion) and are likely to be without  Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle) and Enes Kanter (back, wrist), who are listed as doubtful.

After a surprise win against the playoff-bound Heat, the Knicks currently hold the 9th place in the lottery. They are one game "behind" the Bulls for 8th and two "behind" the Nets (whose pick is owned by the Cavaliers via the Celtics) for 7th. 

Despite the Knicks dominating the Heat at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, several players sustained injuries. 

It was forward Michael Beasley who left the game with a left knee contusion in first quarter. He was previously out against the Magic with an illness as well.

Point guard Emmanuel Mudiay also left Friday's contest with a headache, which was later diagnosed a concussion. He won't be in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Bucks.

Knicks rookie G Damyean Dotston had a career night, finishing with 30 points in New York's dominant win over the Heat, 122-98.

Knicks F Michael Beasley is questionable to return to Friday's contest against the Heat after suffering a left knee contusion in the first quarter. 

Beasley missed Tuesday's game against the Magic with an illness, and just returned to action on Friday. 

The 6-foot-9 forward has picked up the slack for the injured Kristaps Porzingis, as he is averaging 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over 70 games this season. 

The Heat handed New York a 119-98 loss in Miami on March 21 and things aren't much better for the Knicks, who are finishing off their fourth straight 50-loss season. << Read more

Jake Brown | Twitter

The Knicks will enter the NBA Draft in June with a top-10 pick. They are in the eighth spot right now, but that can change depending on how these final games play out and how the balls drop in the lottery.

Frank Ntlikina has divided fan opinion this season but head coach Jeff Hornacek is confident in the 19-year-old rookie. 

Ntilikina has struggled offensively but has earned plaudits on defense. He's quickly become the Knicks' best perimeter defender...