The Boston Celtics have been doing a lot of thinking ever since they were booted from the second round of the NBA playoffs by the New York Knicks. Between navigating Jayson Tatum's injury, addressing expiring contracts, and the potential of blockbuster trades, it's safe to say the Celtics have a lot on their plate to assess before the offseason reaches its next gear.
As the Celtics prepare for the action to begin, the team that eliminated them hasn't wasted any time shaking things up. On Tuesday, the Knicks announced that head coach Tom Thibodeau has been relieved from his duties, ending his time with the franchise after going 226-174 with three playoff appearances in five seasons in the Big Apple.
Few available coaches have comparable resumes to Thibodeau's, making it interesting to see who New York hires as his successor. Interestingly enough, one former Celtics bench boss is reportedly in the running for the Knicks' vacancy.
Knicks Reportedly Targeting Former Celtics HC Ime Udoka After Firing Tom Thibodeau
Shortly after Thibodeau was fired, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that former Celtics head coach and current Houston Rockets HC Ime Udoka is one of the top names the Knicks are looking to hire. A potential hiring would mark the 47-year-old's return to the Eastern Conference after getting fired by Boston during the 2022-23 season.
It isn't hard to figure out why the Rockets would want to hire the former Celtics bench boss.
Udoka is coming off a tremendous season that saw him coach Houston to the Western Conference's second-best record (52-30), which led to the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2019-20. Even though they were bounced by the Golden State Warriors in the opening round, the Rockets' performance was good enough to garner attention league-wide.
Udoka's latest performance also surpassed his previous career high of 51 wins he had with the Celtics in 2021-22. The C's went all the way to the NBA Finals that spring, falling to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Udoka was then suspended a few months later after violating "multiple" franchise policies, leading to his being replaced by then-assistant coach Joe Mazzulla.
While Udoka is a solid coach, Boston fans don't miss him too much, considering that the team won an NBA Championship under Mazzulla's guidance last spring.
As much as the Knicks would love to hire Udoka, they shouldn't hold their breath. Rockets insider Kelly Iko reported on Wednesday that Houston "has no interest in entertaining" any potential interviews involving the ex-Celtics HC, meaning New York will likely have to look elsewhere for its new leader.
For now, all signs point to the Rockets continuing on with Udoka behind the bench, clearly content with the former Celtics coach's performance over the last two seasons.