Outside of coaches the Knicks haven't gotten permission to talk to, there are other candidates on their radar. They've brought in Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins, Pelicans assistant James Borrego and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.

Brown was named coach of the Cavs in the summer of 2005. They went to the playoffs in his first season and in 2007, the Cavs beat the Detroit Pistons to make the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs won more than 60 games in Brown's final two years with the team, eventually being fired in 2010 for not being able to get the team over the hump.

Brown is notorious for holding players accountable. His new employer is betting on his personality and diligence more than anything else.