NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Knicks' HC Search, Cavs' Draft Board, Devin Vassell

The New York Knicks' search for a permanent head coach may be starting to accelerate.

On Thursday, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the Knicks are "not in contract negotiations with any candidate" and have not made any offers to any of those who've they interviewed. However, it's possible New York is getting closer to making a decision.

"The Knicks are continuing to do their due diligence and there is a strong likelihood that they will have conversations with multiple candidates next week, per SNY league sources," Begley wrote. "It remains likely that the club will hire a coach by the end of the month, prior to the NBA resuming its regular season in Orlando."

The 2019-20 season is set to resume July 30, so that would mean the Knicks could announce a hiring in less than a week.

Begley noted that New York has interviewed 11 candidates for the job, but Tom Thibodeau remains the favorite to land the position. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently reported that Kenny Atkinson and Jason Kidd are other candidates who "have not been crossed off the list as of yet."

The Knicks went 21-45 this season and are looking for a head coach who can lead them to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Latest on Cavaliers' draft board, top prospects

Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball have been projected by many to be the top three prospects in this year's NBA draft class, and they're the three players in the top tier of the Cleveland Cavaliers' draft board, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

However, depending on how the NBA draft lottery goes down, there's a chance the Cavs won't be on the clock until after all three of those players have been selected. Cleveland is one of three teams with a 14 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, but it could also fall as low as the No. 6 selection.

Fedor noted that the Cavaliers' "second tier" of draft prospects includes Deni Avdija, Killian Hayes, Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Isaac Okoro and "perhaps" Onyeka Okongwu. None of these is too surprising, considering they are all players who are getting projected to be drafted early in most mocks.

Another prospect who could be drafted in that range, however, is Florida State guard Devin Vassell, who Fedor said is "close" to that second tier of prospects on Cleveland's board.

"Don't be surprised to see him go higher than projected," Fedor wrote. "One member of the Cavs' front office doesn't see much of a gap between Vassell and Avdija."

Because the Cavaliers were one of the eight teams not invited to Orlando for the 2019-20 season restart, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been "more involved in the process" with extra time for scouting, per Fedor. And because the season won't end until much later than usual, there will be plenty of time for Cleveland to keep considering its options, which will be easier to do once it knows its draft position.