The New York Knicks are expected to stay busy in the offseason trying to find a new head coach who can lead them to an NBA Championship.
Up until recently, Tom Thibodeau was the team’s head coach, but he was sacked following the Knicks’ humiliating Eastern Conference Finals defeat.
Evidently, many names have been proposed as the next head coach of the team. That includes current Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
However, former NBA veteran Cedric Maxwell recently made a case for one Boston Celtics assistant coach to get a chance in New York.
On an episode of the Nightcap podcast, Maxwell revealed that he recently got in touch with Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell.
He believes that the ex-NBA All-Star should be a candidate to replace Thibodeau and be the next head coach of the Knicks.
“I spoke to Sam Cassell, an assistant coach on the Celtics. I would love for him to get a job like that,” Maxwell revealed.
However, Maxwell quickly presented a ‘marquee’ reason why Cassell won’t likely make the cut.
“But in that particular market, right now they are looking for a marquee name. Sam’s name isn’t a marquee name as he hasn’t been a head coach before,” Maxwell continued.
He concluded by adding: “You’re coming in there with somebody who is unproven, in the New York Knicks, you can’t do that.”
While it’s true that Cassell doesn’t have experience as a head coach, he has been an assistant coach for a plethora of years.
In fact, he landed his first gig back in 2009. With that said, here’s a quick look at Cassell’s NBA coaching experience:
| Team Name | Years of Coaching |
| Washington Wizards | 2009-10 to 2013-14 (five years) |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 2014-15 to 2019-20 (six years) |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 2020-21 to 2022-23 (three years) |
| Boston Celtics | 2023-24 to present (two years) |
Overall, Cassell has 16 years of experience as an assistant coach in the NBA. Combining that with the fact that he had a solid 15-year NBA career as a player, where he most notably won three NBA titles.
The Knicks could very well take that risk with him as their next head coach. After all, even the Phoenix Suns have given a chance to Jordan Ott, who is a rookie head coach as well.
