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D'Antoni decides to leave Suns for rebuilding job with Knicks
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Mike D'Antoni has agreed to coach the New York Knicks, bringing his entertaining offensive style from the Phoenix Suns to a team coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
The Knicks released a statement Saturday night saying they had agreed in principle with D'Antoni and that a news conference would be held once the contract had been completed.
D'Antoni had two years and $8.5 million left on his Phoenix contract. Suns owner Robert Sarver wouldn't confirm that D'Antoni had taken the New York job earlier Saturday, but said, "Mike called me this morning to thank me, so I figured this was up."
The offer is reportedly for $24 million over four years, making him one of the NBA's highest paid coaches. The Chicago Bulls also interviewed D'Antoni for their coaching job.
Messages were left for D'Antoni and his agent, Warren LeGarie.
D'Antoni replaces Isiah Thomas, who was fired in April after the Knicks went 23-59, tying the franchise record for losses in a season. D'Antoni will become the Knicks' sixth different coach since the start of the 2002-03 season.
The 57-year-old D'Antoni led the Suns to a 55-27 record last season and was coach of the year in 2005. He had a 232-96 regular-season record the past four years, but the Suns were eliminated in the first round by San Antonio last month. The Suns then gave D'Antoni permission to pursue other openings.
Mavericks say Carlisle was top choice: The Dallas Mavericks made it official, announcing they had hired Rick Carlisle to replace Avery Johnson as their coach.
Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations, said in a statement that Carlisle was "our top choice from the onset."
"His integrity, exceptional basketball IQ and balanced approach are exactly what we were looking for," Nelson said. "Rick's playoff experience and success make him a great fit for our team and its future."
A news conference is expected Wednesday, when owner Mark Cuban returns to Dallas.
Carlisle was the only candidate the Mavericks interviewed after firing Johnson the morning after their second straight first-round playoff exit.
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