New York Knicks: Phil Jackson Discusses Opt-Out Clause
New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson has an opt-out clause in his current contract. He doesn’t plan to put it to use.
The New York Knicks are approaching a summer that could define the future of the organization. Point guards Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings will be free agents and team president Phil Jackson could become the same.
As has been discussed ad nauseam, Jackson has an opt-out clause in his contract that will become available to him in 2017.
With just the 2016-17 season separating Jackson from potentially leaving the Knicks, his potential departure has become an expected topic of conversation. Thus, it’s no surprise that it was touched upon during a recent interview.
Per Jackie MacMullan of ESPN’s TrueHoop Network, Jackson hasn’t entertained the thought of leaving New York during the summer of 2017.
"“I have not entertained that. I’m looking for this Knicks team to get back into a situation where they are competitive. Do I have to win a championship before I feel I’ve done the job I’ve been asked to do, which is to bring this group back to that competitive level? No, I don’t. We’re starting to make progress. I like a lot of the things we are doing here. But we’ve got more to do.”"
MacMullan proceeded to ask the question that every Knicks fan has been pondering: if there were no plans of an opt-out, then why include the clause in the contract?
"The real issue with the opt out was simply my rationale regarding the (potential) lockout. If it was going to happen in December and everybody chose to walk away, there was no way I was going to sit in New York for three, four months when I didn’t have a job, because (the players) aren’t even allowed to show up to work. So, in that case, I would go back to L.A."
Fair enough.
Progress has been made, but the Knicks still have a mountain of work to do. New York tanked in 2014-15, which resulted in Jackson acquiring two promising young big men at the 2015 NBA Draft in Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez.
The Knicks won just 32 games in 2015-16, however, and are 3-6 after nine games in 2016-17.
New York is more talented than it’s been in quite some time, but talent alone doesn’t win games.
Jackson stating that he doesn’t feel he needs to win a championship before he’s fulfilled his job requirements could be perceived as concerning. He’s stated that his goal is to build something sustainable, however, and has never shied away from valuing the long-term over the short-term.
Thus, if Jackson turns New York into a perennial contender, then leaving his position and trusting his heir apparent to do the rest of the work wouldn’t be a terrible outcome.
New York hasn’t made it beyond the second round of the NBA Playoffs since Jeff Van Gundy led it to the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals. It hasn’t won 60 games in a single season since 1993 and only has one division title since 1994.
Thus, if Jackson can help the Knicks exorcise some of those demons, then his tenure will have been successful.
True as that all may be, Jackson was an 11-time NBA champion as a head coach and a two-time title winner as a player. Thus, while success may be subjective, The Zen Master’s history implies that James Dolan hired him to help the Knicks win their first championship since 1973.
Considering Jackson was a player for the last Knicks team to win it all, one would like to think he intends to to end the drought.
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Either way, Jackson hasn’t entertained the thought of opting out of his current contract with the Knicks.