Things have not gone well for Phil Jackson in his first three seasons as president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks, but the two sides are committed to trying to change that.
Ramona Shelburne and Ian Begley of ESPN.com reported on Thursday that Jackson and the Knicks have agreed to exercise the two-year option remaining on Jackson’s original five-year deal with the team. Both sides had the ability to opt out of the contract.
While there were some rumblings that Jackson could walk away from the Knicks because of how poorly the team has played, Shelburne and Begley were told the option was actually picked up “a while ago.”
The Knicks finished the 2016-2017 season with a record of 31-51, missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. There were high hopes coming into the year after Jackson added Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, but neither one of those moves worked out. The Knicks are 80-166 in three seasons since Jackson joined the team’s front office.
Now, the biggest question of the offseason for the Knicks will be what to do with Carmelo Anthony, who clearly has not gotten along with Jackson. Even one of Jackson’s former star players feels the 11-time NBA champion has treated Anthony unfairly, and a divorce seems inevitable at this point.
