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Before his trade to the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart saw the writing on the wall throughout his final days with the Memphis Grizzlies. Minutes before the trade deadline, the Grizzlies moved Smart in a three-team deal. He finished the 2024-25 season with the Wizards before signing a two-year contract with the Lakers in free agency last summer. Smart, looking back on last season, watched Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman fire coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games left in the regular season — very uncommon for a playoff team weeks before the postseason. It was a telltale sign of an organization in flux, but did it make Smart feel any better about his trade to the Wizards?
“Way better. You see what’s going on now,” Smart tells ClutchPoints. “That started with me. I came back from injury, and I got traded because they said I didn’t want to be there. I’m injured. What do you mean, I don’t want to be here? I’m here every day working my a** off, cheering. I’m the only one on the bench coaching, but you know how it is. Control what you can control.” It was an unfortunate ending for Smart and the Grizzlies, as the 12-year guard was looking forward to helping Memphis ascend amidst a competitive Western Conference. “I wish nothing but the best for them. Those guys — they work their a** off,” Smart added. “But you could definitely see this coming, and now, this is what you get.”
Could you see the writing on the wall before last season’s trade deadline? “You could see it. Even when I was there, me and Jake [LaRavia],” Smart replied. “You could see just how they were handling things, going about things. And it’s unfortunate — you’ve got some good talent over there. It’s unfortunate. Hopefully, they can get it together.”
Former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale weighed in on the situation during a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview, suggesting the friction between Morant and the organization began last year when Memphis fired Taylor Jenkins just before the playoffs. “I don’t know what happened internally, but once you fire a coach of the caliber of Taylor Jenkins, that told me that something’s wrong,” Fizdale said. “He had the city supporting him, took the team to the second round of the playoffs. To see that firing told me things were not good there. It kind of seems like it’s coming out with Ja now.”
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Ian Begley: The Knicks’ deal with Mike Brown is for four years and $40M in total, per league sources familiar with the matter. The Knicks chose Brown as their new head coach earlier this week after a roughly four-week search. Taylor Jenkins, James Borrego, Micah Nori and Dawn Staley were also formally interviewed during the search.
Mike Brown was the only coaching candidate to interview for the Knicks' job multiple times, including holding meetings with Rose, the team's front office and owner James Dolan on Tuesday, sources said. The Knicks also interviewed former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, New Orleans Pelicans associate coach James Borrego and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, sources said.
Michael Scotto: New York Knicks were granted permission to speak with New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego for their head coach vacancy, sources told @hoopshype . Borrego will be the fourth coach interviewed, joining Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins and Micah Nori. The Athletic first
Ian Begley: Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori has completed his interview with the Knicks for their head-coaching vacancy, per SNY sources. Nori has spent 16 years as a front-office-the-bench assistant, coaching under 4 Coach of the Year winners. Nori, Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown are the three known interviewees in NYK’s search. The Knicks relieved Tom Thibodeau as head coach days after they lost to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Shams Charania: The New York Knicks are interviewing Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for the team's head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Now three candidates – Nori and two former head coaches Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins – have done formal interviews for the Knicks' vacancy.
Knicks Videos: "Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown have been the focus...they're in that top tier of the options. Jason Kidd is more of a wild card because he is under contract with Dallas." Ian answers all of your offseason Knicks questions on The Putback with @IanBegley
The New York Knicks’ search for a head coach is ongoing, but it’s possible that a conclusion could come within the next two weeks. Former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown will both interview with the organization next week, league sources told The Athletic. As of now, they are considered the leading candidates to replace Tom Thibodeau.
According to SNY's NBA Insider Ian Begley, the read on the Knicks' coaching situation is that it will continue into next week and heading into the weekend Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown are among the coaches on New York's radar. With regard to the Knicks getting denied permission to speak with current head coaches, at least one of those coaches was able to benefit financially from New York’s interest, per Begley.