Phil Jackson plans to meet with Carmelo Anthony sometime soon

Against the backdrop of Derek Fisher's hiring as head coach, Knicks president Phil Jackson dropped some interesting quotes in regard to forward Carmelo Anthony.

From the Knicks' perspective, the worry with Anthony is the opt-out in his contract which could make him an unrestricted free-agent.

The Knicks don't want that to be the case, as Jackson has noted many times (see below). Now, with their head coaching situation resolved, the Knicks can turn their attention to the potential departure of their superstar.

First, he stated that he and Knicks GM Steve Mills will meet with Carmelo sometime soon.

Fisher reiterated the Knicks' interest in having Carmelo back for next season:

And the Knicks even tipped their hand as to part of their pitch:

Various teams, including the Lakers, are positioning themselves to sign Carmelo in the event he chooses to leave New York. This season, Anthony averaged 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Despite his efforts, the Knicks missed the playoffs in a weakened Eastern Conference.