Knicks president Phil Jackson and forward Carmelo Anthony met for dinner on Tuesday night to discuss the future of the franchise, including the head coaching vacancy and the star’s impending free agency, ESPN reported.
Although just 15 days have passed since the Knicks’ season ended, the team is moving fast to start fresh, as it has already fired the entire coaching staff. TNT analyst Steve Kerr, who played under Jackson and later served as general manager of the Suns, has become the favorite to land the head coaching job.
Anthony has reportedly asked Bulls players on several occasions about head coach Tom Thibodeau, so the Knicks know that hiring the right head coach could go a long way toward convincing Melo to stay in New York.
Over dinner at American Cut steakhouse in TriBeCa, Jackson spoke with Anthony about his relationship with Kerr, according to ESPN.
Although the Knicks can offer Anthony a five-year, $129 million maximum contract — $33 million more than any other team — Jackson recently stated that he hopes Anthony is “true to his word” and re-signs for less money. This would give the Knicks more financial flexibility to build a contender around their franchise player.
