The Knicks and team president Phil Jackson “quietly” picked up their respective sides of Jackson’s mutual option for the next two years this spring, according to Ramona Shelburne and Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The option would have allowed either side to exit the contract this year, but now that it has been exercised by both sides, Jackson is locked in through the 2018/19 season. Sources tell ESPN that the mutual option was exercised “a while ago.”
As another disappointing season in New York neared its conclusion, there had been speculation that one side or the other would opt out of Jackson’s contract. A report in March suggested that some people close to Knicks owner James Dolan were urging him to make a change, despite his public commitment in February to retaining Jackson.
Meanwhile, Jackson just finished a turbulent 2016/17 season that saw him publicly clash with star forward Carmelo Anthony in the weeks and months leading up to the trade deadline. In Jackson’s three years as New York’s president, the team now has an 80-166 overall record. However, he has long insisted that the option was only inserted in his contract as a precautionary measure related to CBA talks, since he didn’t want to stick around through another lockout.
With Jackson poised to manage the Knicks’ roster through another season, he’ll have plenty of interesting decisions to make this summer, including potentially trading Anthony, deciding whether to attempt to bring back free agent point guard Derrick Rose, and determining which player to draft with the club’s lottery pick.
Phil jackson will get blazed before the draft and pick up another gem, bring in Fox Phil he is showtime and buy out Melo’s contract sick of seeing that blob chuck up mid range jumpers like he’s 96 Jordan lol
You see it, the Phil to again to have it the control over the New York club. Like mad farmer who drive it the tractor through to the side of the barn. All the animals, they running to the gate.
so Phil goes 80-166 in 3 years …no playoffs and even less hope…and keeps his job????…yeah Dolans is a dumba$$!!!
for New York to get better Jackson has to be fired
Time for Knicks fan to rebel against this sorry franchise with a moron owner james dolan
Dolan is only where he is because he’s the SON of Charles Dolan who started Cablevision and bought MSG Knicks Rangers etc James Dolan is the BOSSES SON! he butchered Cablevision financially but got lucky when a billionaitre Frenchman bought him out Knicks fans MUST STOP BUYING TICKETS!!!BOYCOTT the Knicks stop padding Dolans pockets and maybe he’ll sell
I said that if Phil’s contract was exercised, and they traded Melo for 25 cents on the dollar I was going to boycott. They’re halfway there, and I think we’re pretty confident that number will happen as well.
James Dolan has got to be one of the worst owners in sports. When he isn’t hiring bad GM’s, he’s intervening with disasterous results. Perfect example is the almost Lowry trade from a couple of years ago. Masai has admitted that he made the deal, but Dolan shot it down as he did not want to see the club give up Shump. Two years later they deal him to Cleveland with JR, and get what back??? No seriously, can anyone remind me, I really can’t remember the scary awesome return.
I’m also out if they re-sign D-Rose. Funny that his nickname has D in it when he doesn’t play any!
Phil Jackson has been a disaster to the Knicks franchise. I don’t mind being arrogant when you are winning. People don’t understand that he’s not a GM but a coach. He got the nerves and the audacity to address the state of the Knicks tomorrow . I said this January get rid of Dolan, fire Phil, trade Melo , let Rose walk and rebuild.