The NY Knicks have gone after Phil Jackson and the latest reports say he is leaning towards taking a job with the New York front office and if he does, it could mean Mike Woodson gets fired and wholesale changes could be coming, including trades of Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton along with Carmelo Anthony opting out and signing with the Chicago Bulls.
Many feel that the Knicks adding Jackson is a way to woo Anthony into staying, but there is no guarantee that bringing in Jackson can make that happen, as Anthony could still choose to opt out and sign with another team. According to ESPN.com, Jackson is leaning towards taking the job and this comes after he was previously offered a chance to coach the Knicks already. Jackson is said to be mulling over the decision after reportedly turning down the head coaching job from GM Steve Mills and it's possible that it could be in the future as well if Jackson takes the job.
The report says that there is a chance that Jackson could take the front office job and that it would include the chance to coach the Knicks in the future, but right now it's just about the front office position. Jackson has not run a team in this capacity before, but has said it is something that interests him. Trades involving Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton have come up as options for the Knicks in the offseason and if Anthony opts out, a total blowup of the roster could be coming.
Jackson likely would want to pick his own head coach if he doesn't take over the team and that means Woodson could be gone, while the 68-year-old obviously has the chance to step him himself. Jackson won six championships with the Bulls and more with the Lakers and he has gone 1,155-485 in 20 seasons while coaching and his experience would be huge for the Knicks. The Knicks have long been interested in bringing in Jackson to work for the team and after the disaster of the season they hope he is the answer to turning things around.
Anthony came into the season hoping to compete for a championship and now the team is looking to just make it in as the eighth seed in the east. Anthony is a huge part of the Knicks plans and what he does this summer and whether Jackson takes over will be huge for the future of the franchise.