The meeting between Phil Jackson and Steve Kerr evidently went well. According to ESPN, the New York Knicks hope to introduce Kerr as the team’s new head coach right after the first round of the NBA Playoffs:
The New York Knicks are trying to complete a deal with TNT’s Steve Kerr that would install him as their new coach after the first round of the playoffs, according to sources with knowledge of the talks.
Sources said on Tuesday that the intention of new Knicks president Phil Jackson is to secure Kerr as his first coaching hire by early next month, which would theoretically soften the blow for the announcer’s current employer to withstand losing its No. 1 analyst in the midst of the playoffs.
It remains to be seen whether Kerr is willing to make the jump so quickly.
But sources say Jackson has made significant progress in his longstanding plan to convince Kerr that the time is right to make the jump from broadcasting to coaching and accept one of the league’s most high-profile jobs despite having no prior bench experience.
There has been considerable speculation since the playoffs began that the delay also stems from Kerr waiting to see what other jobs might open depending on playoff results.
NBA coaching sources have maintained for weeks that the Golden State Warriors have strong interest in Kerr, should they elect to part ways with Mark Jackson after a 50-win season, given Kerr’s strong relationships with Warriors owner Joe Lacob, son Kirk Lacob (who works in Golden State’s front office) and Warriors president Rick Welts, with whom Kerr worked closely in Phoenix.
But sources repeated that the Knicks, because of the former Chicago Bulls guard’s close relationship with Jackson, are the clear front-runners to land Kerr.
Sources say that the opportunity to be mentored by the winningest coach of all time, along with Kerr’s deep fondness for Jackson, have established New York as Kerr’s most likely landing spot.
In contrast to the larger skepticism around the league about Jackson’s ability to lead the Knicks back to contention despite possessing no prior front-office experience, Kerr has expressed confidence that his former coach will be a hit in his new line of work.
If the Knicks were to somehow miss out on Kerr, coaching insiders have struggled to pinpoint where Jackson would turn next, given his small circle of confidantes and the fact that no one else available from Jackson’s circle would clearly appear to meet his stated desire to hire “a personality” who possesses “charismatic appeal” as well as a “forward-looking idea about the game.”
