Forgotten Danny Ainge move might add Jazz to Knicks' desperate phone call list

As everyone can see, the New York Knicks are frantically searching for the next coach. Spoiler warning: the Utah Jazz are not giving them Will Hardy. However, there's one reason why the Knicks would still call them anyway: Danny Ainge has traded a coach before.

For context, the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after having their best season in 25 years, but did so without a plan. Since then, they have contacted five teams about their currently employed coaches, including ex-Jazz coach Quin Snyder, but all of their teams have turned them down.

That likely won't stop the Knicks from searching, no matter how embarrassing this looks. As of now, there have been no reports confirming that the Knicks have contacted the Jazz, but don't be surprised if they will. They may do so on the belief that because Ainge has traded a coach before, he'll do it again.

Back in 2013, Ainge agreed to trade then-Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers for a first-round pick. The very move of trading a coach is quite rare, but Ainge has been one of the few front office men who has pulled the trigger on that trade.

But why would he turn the Knicks down if this opportunity presented itself again? Simple.

This situation is different from Boston's in 2013

The Celtics traded Rivers because, following their elimination at the hands of, coincidentally, the Knicks that year, it was clear Boston was headed in a different direction. Rivers didn't want to stick around for a rebuild, so they agreed to trade him to a playoff contender like the Clippers.

The Jazz are a different story right now than the Celtics were back then, as they are right in the midst of a long rebuild. Also, Utah has shown their complete faith in Hardy's abilities after giving him an extension last month. There's no way they would give up on him unless he threatened to quit. If that were on the table, they never would have extended him in the first place.

The reason why teams fire their coach or let them go is typically because they're not satisfied with how things have gone under him. Technically speaking, missing the playoffs in his first three years may not make Hardy look good, but understandably, no one has blamed him for their issues.

If the Jazz were to go that route with Hardy, they would then have to hire a new coach who may have an entirely different vision for where the team should go. That's why, no matter what team may call, it'd be very tricky for the Jazz to agree to send Hardy out.

One last thing is that Ainge is not the President of Basketball Operations in Utah, so he may not even have the power to do so. He may have a say, but he can't make that move like he could back when he called the shots in Boston's front office.

New York certainly wants to top the journey they just took. While Hardy would make sense for them, they will have to look elsewhere.