Report: Knicks owner weighing Phil Jackson's future as team president
New York Knicks owner James Dolan is reportedly weighing Phil Jackson's future as team president, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports a resolution could come as early as Wednesday.
While the Knicks remain in constant disarray under Jackson's leadership, the news is still somewhat surprising, given that only two months ago it was reported that Jackson and the Knicks had agreed to exercise the final two-year, $24-million option on his contract, which would run through the end of the 2018-19 season.
Jackson, who amassed 11 NBA championships as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers (and won two titles as a player with the Knicks in the early 70s), took control of the Knicks in March, 2014 to much fanfare. In the three seasons since then, the Knicks have sputtered to an 80-166 record, while never finishing less than 10 games back of the Eastern Conference's final playoff berth.
Along the way, Jackson has made a number of questionable personnel decisions, including signing Carmelo Anthony to a five-year, $124-million extension in 2014 that included a no-trade clause, only for Jackson to seemingly publicly advocate for an Anthony trade over much of the past year. In addition, Jackson traded for Derrick Rose last summer, just months before the former MVP faced (and was eventually found not liable in) a civil rape trial, and signed aging center Joakim Noah to a four-year, $72-million contract.
The biggest bright spot thus far in Jackson's tenure was the selection of Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, though even that has been tainted as Jackson's relationship with the young star has soured. After Porzingis skipped his post-season exit interview with Jackson due to reported team dysfunction, the Knicks reportedly shopped their most prized asset, only for Jackson to downplay those reports.
Jackson also famously caught the ire of the game's biggest star this past season, after he referred to LeBron James' business partners as James' "posse."