Knicks finalizing Chris Jent as Mike Brown’s associate head coach

The New York Knicks are in the process of finalizing a deal to bring longtime NBA assistant Chris Jent onto Mike Brown’s staff as associate head coach, sources told ESPN on Aug. 8, 2025. The move — first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN and picked up by Sports Illustrated and multiple New York outlets over the weekend — would make Jent the de facto offensive coordinator for Brown’s first Knicks bench. (ESPN, Aug. 8, 2025; Sports Illustrated, Aug. 9, 2025.)

What’s been reported - ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that New York negotiated terms with Jent through agent Tyler Glass of CSE Talent. (ESPN, Aug. 8, 2025.) - Sports Illustrated and other outlets described Jent as the leading candidate to run the Knicks’ offense and noted his recent Summer League title role with the Charlotte Hornets’ prospects. (Sports Illustrated, Aug. 9, 2025.) - Multiple reports say the club pursued other experienced assistants during the search; Pacers assistant Mike Weinar removed himself from consideration, according to reporting by Stefan Bondy and coverage summarized by SI. (SI / New York Post reporting, Aug. 6–9, 2025.)

No official team release had been posted as of Aug. 9, 2025; the reporting currently rests on league sources and team/agent negotiations. If and when the Knicks post an official press release or social announcement, the club will likely confirm title and contract terms — earlier coverage did not include guaranteed contract figures for Jent. (Search of Knicks releases and team social channels, Aug. 9, 2025.)

Why Jent Chris Jent, 55, carries a long résumé as an NBA assistant across multiple clubs and a reputation as an offensive teacher. He served on Mike Brown’s Cavaliers staff in the late 2000s and was widely credited during that time as a shooting and player-development specialist; Charlotte- and Los Angeles-based reporting has noted Jent did one-on-one shooting work with LeBron James while in Cleveland. He followed stints with the Hawks, Lakers and, most recently, the Charlotte Hornets, where he coached the team’s Summer League group to a Las Vegas title. (Charlotte Observer; Sports Illustrated; RealGM.)

That history — both with Brown and as a trusted shooting/skill coach — explains why he’s being eyed as the architect of the Knicks’ offense. Mike Brown has publicly signaled a desire for a faster, more dynamic attack since he was hired, and Jent’s background makes him a logical pick to translate that vision into playable sets and practice structure. (Knicks head-coach announcement coverage, July 7, 2025; SI and local reporting, Aug. 2025.)

Expected role and staff structure Industry coverage frames Jent as Brown’s offensive coordinator and top lieutenant. Reports also say Brown will lean on a two‑pronged staff construction: Brendan O’Connor and other hires/holdovers to run the defensive side while Jent installs Brown’s offensive principles and day‑to‑day play-calling in tandem with the head coach. Local reporting lists a mix of Brown’s handpicked assistants and holdovers from the Tom Thibodeau era expected to remain in the program. (SI; New York Post, Aug. 2025.)

Immediate impact on Jalen Brunson and Karl‑Anthony Towns On paper, Jent’s mandate looks straightforward: create spacing, speed up New York’s pace, and build sets that let Jalen Brunson and Karl‑Anthony Towns clear roles coexist. Practical priorities likely include: - Spacing and catch‑and‑shoot looks for Towns: Jent’s history as a shooting coach suggests he’ll prioritize getting Towns more catch-and-shoot opportunities and single‑cover post-entry looks — maximizing Towns’ floor-stretching impact rather than crowding him into inefficient isolation minutes. - Off-ball movement and pick‑and‑roll creativity for Brunson: Brunson thrived when he could attack downhill from both pick-and-rolls and off-ball actions; Jent’s schemes should aim to increase Brunson’s creation opportunities while surrounding him with spacing and stagger/screen actions that mask defensive attention. - Faster pace and more interchangeability: Brown has talked about a more dynamic offense; Jent is expected to design practice reps and in-game sets that push transition scoring, multi-option actions and more frequent screening to keep defenses from keying solely on Brunson or Towns.

How fast changes show up will depend on preseason work, buy-in from veterans and the assistants who implement practice habits. Players have not publicly commented on Jent’s reported hire as of Aug. 9, 2025; any immediate on‑record player reaction will likely come once the club posts an official announcement and introduces the full staff. (No player quotes available in media reporting as of Aug. 9, 2025.)

Who else was in the mix Reporting around the coaching search noted several candidates who were pursued or considered and ultimately did not join the staff. Pacers assistant Mike Weinar reportedly removed himself from consideration (per Stefan Bondy’s reporting summarized by SI), while other experienced assistants — including Pablo Prigioni, Jay Triano and James Borrego — were said to have been asked or contacted earlier in the process. Those misses helped push Brown toward a familiar collaborator in Jent. (SI; New York Post; RealGM, Aug. 2025.)

Bottom line If the reports are borne out, the Knicks are adding an experienced offensive architect with long ties to Mike Brown and a track record of player development and shooting work. That hire signals New York’s intent to speed up its offense and better fuse the skill sets of Jalen Brunson and Karl‑Anthony Towns. For now, the move is being reported as “finalizing” through league sources (ESPN, Aug. 8, 2025); we’ll update when the Knicks issue formal confirmation and release specifics about title and contract terms.

Sources: ESPN (Shams Charania, Aug. 8, 2025); Sports Illustrated (Aug. 9, 2025); New York Post/Stefan Bondy (Aug. 6–9, 2025); Charlotte Observer; RealGM. (No official Knicks press release confirming the hire was posted as of Aug. 9, 2025.)