Tom Thibodeau may have a chance to coach the Knicks – and some players from the club’s G League – in August.
SNY sources confirm a Charlotte Observer report that the NBA and the Players Association are making progress towards plans for the eight teams that are not part of the Orlando bubble to train.
Earlier this week, plans for those team workouts – which include the Knicks – were fluid. But an iteration of the plan would include teams with their G League players joining the workouts to give them the chance to have more complete scrimmages, according to SNY sources.
Nothing had been finalized since Wednesday morning.
The league and the NBA Players Association should sign the proposal. The workouts would probably be voluntary.
The observer reported that the teams would train in their facility and therefore potentially join another team in a joint training site. The newspaper later reported that team training on the market could last for several weeks.
Whatever the final details of the plan are, this will offer Thibodeau the chance to train players on his roster in person for the first time.
Some with the Knicks had been lukewarm on an NBA proposal to bring all eight teams together in Chicago to train in a “second bubble”. Those members of the organization wanted their players to train, but they were worried about having young players struggling because of the potential injury.
Additionally, the Knicks have several outstanding free agents. Those players are unlikely to have a strong interest in taking the risk amid the coronavirus pandemic of colliding with other non-playoff teams.
If the workouts remained on the market, this would give Thibodeau a long period of time to watch his players, including RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina. If G League players are included, Thibodeau could also take a look at those who excelled with the Westchester Knicks this season, such as guard Lamar Peters.