Knicks Rumors: NY Considering Expanding Player Development Staff Under Thibodeau

The New York Knicks will remake their staff to Tom Thibodeau's liking.

Following the hiring of New York's latest head coach, Ian Begley of SNY reported Friday the club is looking to expand its player development department and considering a number of assistants who have experience in that area.

Among the names being considered are University of Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne, former NBA assistant coach Ed Pinckney and former Knicks interim coach Mike Miller.

Per Thibodeau:

"When you're putting your staff together you're looking at the qualities you think will fit your team best, what you think you need. I think you always sit down with your front office to go over the people you think can help. I'm confident that we're going to sit down, I'm going to listen the people that they have, I'm going to recommend some people that I know. Some of them are going to be on both lists. I'm real comfortable with that. I think we're going to get a great staff and I'm looking forward to getting started with it."

Pinckney has worked with Thibodeau before, for five seasons with the Chicago Bulls and three with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former Villanova star, 57, spent 12 years in the NBA and was also an assistant with the Denver Nuggets during Michael Malone's first year as head coach.

In Chicago, Pinckney helped develop a young Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. In Denver, he helped guide rookie Nikola Jokic and second-year player Jusuf Nurkic. In Minnesota, it was Karl-Anthony Towns.

Payne played for the Philadelphia 76ers for four seasons from 1989-90 to 1992-93 after he was a standout at Louisville. He joined the college coaching ranks in 2004 as an assistant with Oregon. He teamed up with John Calipari's staff at Kentucky in 2010.

Calipari has leaned on Payne to help recruit and develop some of the biggest names to play for the Wildcats in recent years and could help the Knicks land stars in free agency—something the club has been unable to do in recent years. Among the players Payne coached at UK are NBA stars De'Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.