The New York Knicks hoped Phil Jackson would turn them into a title contender when they hired him to run their basketball operations department. So far, he has done the opposite.
Aside from the uninspiring win-loss record, just how bad have things gotten for the Knicks? According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, it is going to be nearly impossible for New York to sign top free agents this summer.
To restate the obvious, players and agents increasingly look at the Knicks as a destination of absolute last resort.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 22, 2017
Jackson has already said he believes Carmelo Anthony would be better off playing elsewhere, and he admitted on Wednesday that he is open to trading Kristaps Porzingis. Drafting Porzingis in 2015 was just about the only thing Jackson has done right since he joined the Knicks, so the team would basically be starting from scratch if they deal the 21-year-old.
If the Knicks can’t attract free agents, Jackson is going to have to build through the draft and trades. At this point, players are openly mocking Jackson with hilarious tweets. The Zen Master won 11 NBA championships as a player and coach, but his career as a front office executive could not be off to a worse start.
