Despite public skepticism about his long-term commitment to the Knicks, team president Phil Jackson “fully intends” to finish the two years on his contract with the franchise, league sources tell Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. In fact, he might even want to work out a new contract that starts in 2019, says Ding. Jackson’s current deal with the Knicks features an opt-out clause for 2017, though the Zen Master has indicated publicly that he has not intention of exercising that opt-out, and it sounds like his private stance is the same.
Here are a few more Knicks notes:
- While Jackson whiffed on his first coaching hire in New York (Derek Fisher), his decision to hire Jeff Hornacek this time around looks like a winner, writes Chris Mannix of The Vertical. As Mannix details, it looks safe to add Hornacek’s hiring to the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis as the two best calls of Jackson’s tenure with the Knicks.
- Speaking of Porzingis, rival executives and agents believe that the presence of young big man could help lure free agents to the Knicks in future years, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I think guys will definitely [want to play with him] because he can stretch the floor and he’s unselfish,” one agent said. “He’s also really, really talented.”
- With Derrick Rose banged up and forced to miss some games within the last week and a half, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post notes that the Knicks can’t afford to have many key players sidelined at once. As Vaccaro explains, there’s a fine line between the fully healthy “fun, feel-good team” the Knicks have been lately, and a version where a couple of their standout guys are out with injuries.