The Knicks have requested and been granted permission to speak to Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni about the possibility of him joining Mike Brown‘s coaching staff, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
A former NBA point guard who spent two-and-a-half seasons in New York as a player from 2012-15, Prigioni transitioned to coaching following his retirement in 2017. He spent one season on Brooklyn’s bench in 2018/19 before landing with the Wolves.
Prigioni, 48, was originally hired under Ryan Saunders, but carried over to Chris Finch‘s staff in 2021 and has now been with the Timberwolves for six seasons in total. He’s “highly regarded in coaching circles,” Begley writes.
Before they eventually hired Brown, the Knicks attempted to speak to five current NBA head coaches and were turned down by each of those coaches’ respective teams. They’ve found themselves in a somewhat similar position as they look to hire a lead assistant under Brown.
New York was reportedly denied permission to speak to Pelicans assistant James Borrego and Mavericks assistant Jay Triano. The club was also thought to have interest in Darvin Ham, but the Bucks weren’t willing to let him go either. Additionally, Begley reported this week (via Twitter) that Warriors assistant Terry Stotts wouldn’t be leaving Golden State, though it’s unclear whether the Knicks had any real interest in him or if that was just speculation.
Begley doesn’t confirm that Prigioni is being considered specifically for the Knicks’ lead assistant role, but the Timberwolves likely wouldn’t have given a rival team permission to meet with him for what would be a lateral move.