The Knicks have requested and received permission to talk to Minnesota assistant Pablo Prigioni about a spot on newly hired coach Mike Brown’s staff.
The news was first reported by SNY, and confirmed by The Post via a league source.
Prigioni is a former point guard who has developed a good reputation in NBA circles for his acumen.
The 48-year-old has spent the past six seasons as the Timberwolves offensive coordinator, designing schemes and creating an attack built around spacing and 3-pointers.
For the first two of those, he built a relationship with Karl-Anthony Towns before the All-Star big man was traded to the Knicks last October.
The Argentine is also familiar with New York, having played in the Garden from 2012-15.
Prigioni set an NBA record as the oldest rookie in league history when he debuted with the Knicks at 35.
He also served as an assistant coach with the Nets in 2018-19, when they made a return to the playoffs after a postseason drought.
Prigioni has been an assistant with the Timberwolves since leaving the Nets.
The Knicks have received permission to talk to Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni. NBAE via Getty ImagesBut he could be making his return to New York, with Brown asking for and getting permission to speak with him for a role on his new staff.
The Knicks simply getting permission to talk to a candidate may seem like a win considering the sloppy nature of their coaching search.
After abruptly firing Tom Thibodeau after the veteran led them to the Eastern Conference finals, they were denied permission to interview Dallas’ Jason Kidd, Houston’s Ime Udoka, Atlanta’s Quin Snyder and Minnesota’s Chris Finch — Prigioni’s boss.
Pablo Prigioni (9) played for the Knicks from 2013-15. Anthony J. Causi / New York PostGranted, they are all head coaches.
The Knicks also showed interest in hiring New Orleans’ James Borrego as Brown’s lead assistant, but the Pelicans reportedly want to keep him as Willie Green’s top aide.
Brown is being given freedom to pick his assistants. But several holdovers from Thibodeau’s staff are expected, including Mark Bryant, Maurice Cheeks, Darren Erman and Rick Brunson, who had been Thibodeau’s associate head coach.
Brown could look to put his own choice in that position moving forward.
