Top Knicks assistant leaves for role with Bulls

The Bulls are adding a young assistant who earned plenty of praise during the Knicks’ championship run.

Jordan Brink is leaving New York to join new Bulls coach Tiago Splitter‘s staff as an assistant coach and director of player development, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Brink, 34, isn’t exactly a household name. But he became an important part of Mike Brown’s staff with the Knicks, particularly when it came to deciding when to challenge officials’ calls.

In fact, New York led the NBA in successful challenge rate during the 2024-25 season, with Brink largely responsible for identifying which calls were worth challenging. Brown repeatedly praised him for his work, at one point calling Brink a “master at this.”

That carried into the Knicks’ championship season. A Brink-recommended challenge late in Game 2 of the NBA Finals helped New York secure a win over San Antonio.

His rise has been fairly quick. Brink began as an intern under Stan Van Gundy in Detroit before moving through the Pistons’ video and player-development departments.

He joined Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks staff in 2023, eventually becoming an assistant coach under Brown. Now he’ll take on an expanded role with Chicago.

There’s a hometown angle, too. Brink is a Chicago native, as noted by James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

So the Bulls aren’t merely poaching someone from the defending champions. They’re bringing one of their own home, and giving him considerably more responsibility.