Thibs not regretting missed opportunities

During the late spring, the Knicks were the only NBA team in the market for a new head coach. For better or worse, Tom Thibodeau decided not to wait to see if other jobs would open.

Thibodeau agreed to terms on July 25, after Knicks president Leon Rose conducted an eightweek search. After the agreement, five other clubs for which Thibodeau might have been a candidate — the Nets, 76ers, Pacers, Rockets and Thunder — moved on from their coaches.

According to a source, Thibodeau has no regrets in aligning with Rose, who when he worked for Creative Artists Agency, was the coach’s agent.

“He took the job because he trusted Leon,’’ one source said.

That means Thibodeau knows he will have input on personnel moves, including the upcoming Nov. 18 draft, in which the Knicks have three picks (Nos. 8, 27, 38). Remember, in Thibodeau’s last job, with the Timberwolves, he was both coach and president.

The Knicks had made drafting a point guard a priority, but have strongly considered defensive forward Isaac Okoro of Auburn at No. 8, to fit Thibodeau’s defensive mindset.

“I think, as a head coach, the only thing you want is a voice,’’ Thibodeau said on a Zoom call Friday after a team practice. “I think a lot was made of a president’s title, but also, I had a GM and assistant GMs that did a lot of the day-to-day stuff that a normal general manager would do.”

Rose and new VP William Wesley, a former CAA consultant, have never worked for an NBA team before, so they will seek all the input they can get.

“I think that experience did help me in a lot of ways,’’ Thibodeau said. “I think the important thing for me is to just be able to have a voice. I’ve known Leon and Wes for a long time, so they’ve asked my opinion on a number of things. Doesn’t mean that they’re always going to do what I ask them to do, but I think there’s a trust factor there, so I do think that’s important.”