The New York Knicks reportedly reached out to the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves for permission to speak with head coaches Ime Udoka and Chris Finch, respectively, but were denied by both teams.

Over a week after firing Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks' search for an experienced successor has hit some road blocks. New York requested permission to speak with Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and was rebuffed in both instances,

Ime Udoka was dismissed from his job as the head coach of the Boston Celtics three years ago following an unprofessional relationship with a female member of the Celtics staff. However, he bounced back in 2023 by joining the Rockets. And proved he is an elite talent by continuing his impressive results with a younger and less star-studded team.