Exit Strategy

Last week Friday when the New York Knicks fired head coach Isiah Thomas I was deeply saddened. Not because I thought the termination was unjust mind you. We’re talking about a guy who single handedly destroyed an entire league (CBA) and then one of the NBA’s marquee franchises. I’ve often joked that they ought to put him in charge of the WNBA so we can be rid of it already. No, the reason I was saddened by the news was because we (we meaning sports junkies like myself) would no longer have Isiah to make fun of.

As it turns out, we don’t need to worry about that just yet. The new team president of the Knicks, Donnie Walsh, clarified the “firing” on Tuesday. In actuality, Thomas wasn’t fired, he was just "reassigned" from his head coaching position to an advisory role. He is still employed by the Knicks, but Walsh informed the media that Thomas no longer has a full-time job. He doesn’t have a specific title either. And, to make matters worse funnier, we’ve been told that Thomas is no longer allowed to have contact with the team in any way.

Walsh went on to tell everyone that he believes Thomas has a good eye for talent (see: Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford, Jalen Rose, Jerome James, Jarred Jeffries) and that he will still consult with Isiah on player scouting. He made it clear that his decisions would be final, not Isiah’s, and that Isiah would have no contact with the team. "I don't want there to be some kind of double-voice here, so he's answering to me and nobody's reporting to him."

So what is his role? Well, if you ask me, Thomas’ new job is to be the laughing stock of the NBA, much in the same way that the Knicks have become the laughing stock on the league over his time in charge.

The Knicks are contractually obligated to pay Thomas the same salary whether they fire him or keep him on staff for the next couple years. So instead of firing him, what solution did they come up with? Humiliate him. Thomas has been a PR nightmare for four seasons with his terrible player acquisitions, sexual harassment lawsuit, an embarrassing win-loss record despite the league's highest payroll and his general douchebaggitry.

If they humiliate him enough, he might just up and quit. Don’t count on it, but he might. This would, in turn, remove obligation from the Knicks to pay the remainder of his contract.

Donnie Walsh may be the smartest man alive. I want to be friends with him.