Jackson out as Knicks president after turbulent 3-year tenure
NEW YORK — Phil Jackson wanted to trade Carmelo Anthony and wouldn’t rule out dealing Kristaps Porzingis.
Turns out, Jackson is the one leaving.
Jackson is out as New York Knicks president after he oversaw one of the worst eras in team history, with the team saying in a statement Wednesday that they had “mutually agreed to part company.”
Days after Jackson reiterated his desire to move Anthony and said he would listen to deals for Porzingis, Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan reversed course and cut ties with Jackson with two years remaining on his contract.
The winner of an NBArecord 11 championships as coach, Jackson couldn’t engineer one playoff berth while running the Knicks. The team was 80-166 in his three full seasons, including a franchise-worst 17-65 in 2014-15.
The move comes less than a week after Jackson led the Knicks through the NBA draft and on the eve of free agency that opens Saturday. Dolan said he would not be involved in the operation of the team, adding that general manager Steve Mills would run the day-to-day business in the short term and that former Toronto executive Tim Leiweke would advise him and help develop a plan going forward.
Jackson was a Hall of Fame coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, delivering titles with some of the game’s biggest stars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. He also played for the Knicks when they won NBA titles in 1970 and 1973.
He was welcomed back to the organization with a $60 million contract to huge fanfare in March 2014, but it soon became clear the transition would be a poor one. His first coaching hire, Derek Fisher, lasted just 1½ seasons, and Jackson’s trades and free agency moves also failed to improve the club.
Hayward to meet first with Heat
The Miami Heat have improved their position in the batting order from a year ago, apparently first up to the plate when it comes to the free agency of Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Pat Riley and his staff will meet with Hayward on Saturday, with the Jazz to meet with Hayward on Monday. The Boston Celtics are expected to receive the third meeting.
The NBA free agency negotiating period begins July 1.
Raptors promote Webster to GM
The Toronto Raptors have promoted Bobby Webster to general manager, making the 32-yearold assistant the youngest GM in the NBA.
Webster will report to team president Masai Ujiri. He replaces Jeff Weltman, who left in May to become president of the Orlando Magic.
A former staffer at the NBA league office in New York, Webster joined the Raptors in 2013 and was named assistant GM in 2016.
Odds and ends
The Lakers exercised their $1.3 million contract option on guard David Nwaba for the upcoming season. … Suns forward Jared Dudley underwent a left toe ligament and bone procedure last week.