Derek Fisher Fired: New York Knicks Rumors Confirmed [Breaking]

Derek Fisher has been fired by the New York Knicks. Rumors that the Knicks had fired Fisher began early Monday, February 8, but a report from the New York Post has now confirmed the move. After leading the Knicks to a 17-65 record during the 2014-15 NBA season, Fisher was given another shot by team president Phil Jackson. Though the team started out better this season, the Knicks had floundered to a 23-31 record coming out of the weekend. It forced Jackson to make an immediate move on Fisher.

Fisher ends his tenure as Knicks coach with a 40-96 overall record. That is a winning percentage of just 29.4, ranking him among the worst coaches in Knicks history. With just 28 games left in the 2015-16 NBA regular season, time has nearly run out on making it to the playoffs. The team now trails the Detroit Pistons by five games for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. It’s possible that Phil Jackson feels the Knicks could still make the playoffs, but it looks like the franchise is simply heading in a new direction.

There are going to be a number of New York Knicks rumors following the firing of Derek Fisher, including whether Jackson is ready to trade All-Star Carmelo Anthony to completely shift the culture of the team. In the short-term, there are going to be a lot of rumors about the coaching situation, including which guys might be best for the job. In the short-term, Kurt Rambis has been announced as the interim coach, giving him another chance at the helm.

Kurt Rambis hasn’t had a lot of success as an NBA coach, posting a career record of 56-145 so far (27.9 percent). That includes a combined record of 32-132 over two full seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rambis did find some success with the Los Angeles Lakers, serving as coach for a short span in the 1998-99 NBA season. He helped lead the Lakers to a 24-13 record during his tenure, but saw the team come up short in the 1999 NBA Playoffs.

A report from ESPN already has rumors of who will replace the fired Derek Fisher as coach of the New York Knicks. The list includes Brian Shaw and Luke Walton, two former Lakers players who were on the court for Phil Jackson over several NBA seasons. Shaw saw some time as a coach for the Denver Nuggets over parts of two seasons, and Walton filled in for Steve Kerr as coach of the Golden State Warriors this season. Kerr had to go through a surgery, giving Walton a chance to show what he could do with the primary job.

There is a lot of time coming up for the Knicks to make a coaching decision, as the NBA All-Star break is from February 12-14. The NBA trade deadline quickly follows All-Star Weekend, with teams allowed to make moves until February 18. There have been a number of Knicks rumors about the team being active at the deadline, including a report by the Inquisitr showing how Carmelo Anthony could see his name discussed.

The Knicks will play the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, February 9, which will serve as the first game for interim coach Kurt Rambis. After that, the Knicks don’t play again until Friday, February 19, giving the front office a lot of time to address the coaching situation. It’s possible that Phil Jackson seeks to make a quick move with Brian Shaw or Luke Walton, but additional New York Knicks rumors could link the team to other names. As for the now-fired Derek Fisher, he could come up as a coaching candidate for another franchise during the NBA offseason.

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