There’s a working theory that Phil Jackson will opt out of his current contract with the New York Knicks. Here are five reasons to believe he won’t.
The New York Knicks are approaching an offseason that could alter the trajectory of the organization for years to come. Team president Phil Jackson has time remaining on his contract, but there’s an opt-out clause in place for the summer of 2017.
Due to the fact that Jackson has the power to decide whether or not he’ll remain with the Knicks beyond 2017, many have hypothesized that he will not.
Jackson told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN’s TrueHoop Network that he hasn’t entertained the possibility of opting out. Despite that personal confirmation of his intention to stay, rumors have persisted that he will leave.
Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register reported in late November that the odds of Jackson returning to the Los Angeles Lakers are, “50-50.”
"Jackson and his fiance, Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, both deny it’s happening. That’s absolutely true … as far as it goes … until Phil’s opt-out on July 1, 2017, with insiders close to both saying he could still wind up with the Lakers. I’d make the odds 50-50 since it doesn’t take as much as it once did to please Knicks fans."
Despite making it clear that he hasn’t considered leaving, rumors still exist of Jackson’s desire to depart.
In contrast to Heisler’s report, however, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report reports that Jackson plans to stay with New York through 2017 and beyond.
"Jackson fully intends to finish the two years after this season on his Knicks contract, according to NBA sources. Despite all the attention on his opt-out clause in 2017, he might even want to do a new deal that starts in 2019."
It all makes some measure of sense, but there’s reason to believe Jackson will stay.
Jackson’s opt-out clause will become available to him on July 1, 2017. Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, who also happens to be Jackson’s fiancé, told 89.3 KPCC Radio that her brother, Jim Buss, would step down if the Lakers weren’t contending within a three-year window.
Buss made that claim in 2015 and stated that 2014-15 was the first of those three years, thus making 2016-17 his last chance to build a contender.
The Lakers are currently 10-17, but remain just 2.5 games back of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak have built a promising young roster, but Lakers fans aren’t accustomed to long-term rebuilds.
Thus, the desire to bring the man who helped the Lakers win five titles to Los Angeles.
Tantalizing a possibility as it would be for Jackson to team up with his fiancé and lead the Lakers, here are five reasons to believe Jackson will remain with the Knicks beyond 2017.