With thanks to our good friends at Bright Side of the Sun, KTAR in Arizona is reporting that Mike D'Antoni has been granted permission to talk to the Knicks and Bulls about vacant coaching positions.
D'Antoni was previously denied permission to speak with any team, Suns GM Steve Kerr told KTAR last week. Kerr and owner Robert Sarver met with D'Antoni for a lunch meeting on Friday to discuss his future with Phoenix, but it was reported a decision would not be made until later in the week. ESPN.com reported Friday that Chicago has emerged as the most likely landing spot for D'Antoni if he leaves Phoenix. Bulls management contacted D'Antoni's agent last week, according to sources close to the subject. D'Antoni, who has two years and $8.5 million left on his contract, would likely have to resign if he departed for Chicago.
First off, Chicago sounds like a better bet for D'Antoni. But say he is really interested in the Knicks spot? What do we think of him? Do remember that his only NBA coaching work was leading a run-and-gun offense with a two-time MVP at the point and an array of All-Star caliber weapons at other positions. He seems like a great guy and a fun coach, but does he fit a turnaround project with serious defensive flaws? I'm not so sure. Leave your thoughts in the comments.