http://www.prosportsdaily.com/nba/knicks/
LAS VEGAS - From everything Garden chairman James Dolan has said about Isiah Thomas since early December, there doesn't seem to be much doubt that Thomas will return next season.
The one thing that remains unclear is whether Thomas will continue to serve as both team president and head coach. It is unlikely that Thomas would want to walk away from the front office duties, thus giving himself less power. If presented with an option, Thomas may want to bring in a coach and concentrate fully on running the team.
Thomas, who returns to work today with the Knicks, has refused to comment on his future.
Thomas has appeared somewhat run-down in recent weeks and has joked that having to hold three press briefings on game days is an exhausting exercise. Before this year, Thomas said repeatedly that holding dual titles in New York was not feasible. He even skipped this weekend's All-Star festivities in Las Vegas and returned home to New York following Wednesday's loss to Golden State.
Of course, if coaching is in his blood, Thomas may have more options than just the Knicks. Detroit Pistons head coach Flip Saunders continues to have his name linked to the University of Minnesota coaching job. Saunders played for the Gophers and his son, Ryan, is a medical redshirt this season with two years of eligibility left. One of Saunders' daughters is a freshman at Minnesota.
However, Saunders still has two years left on his Pistons' contract after this season, for a guaranteed $9.5 million. And even though Thomas is the most celebrated player in Pistons history, few people with knowledge of Detroit's thinking believe that the team would hire him as head coach.
Thomas had a falling-out with Pistons owner William Davidson after Thomas retired. But on several occasions, Thomas has gone out of his way to praise the Pistons' organization and its players.
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