The New York Knicks will miss the playoffs for the third straight season, generating speculation that Phil Jackson will move out of the Big Apple before his contract runs out.
Jackson signed a five-year contract in 2014 to rebuild the struggling Knicks franchise, but the Hall of Famer has yet to experience success in New York. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, Jackson is now looking for a way out of New York soon.
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Sources told Grange that Jackson "wants out" of the Knicks, as he is aiming to return to the Los Angeles Lakers and join his fiancé Jeanie Buss, the part-owner and president of the Lakers.
Jackson reportedly has the option to opt out of his contract after the 2016-17 season, but could eventually find his way out, depending on the decision they will make this summer, particularly in solving the coaching situation, even before the end of next season.
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The Knicks are expected to look for a new coach this summer after firing Derek Fisher earlier this year. Jackson reportedly wants to name Kurt Rambis as the full-time head coach, but Dolan and superstar Carmelo Anthony want to have a say on the decision in hiring a coach, which could signal the end of the Jackson-Knicks partnership.
And if Jackson gets the opportunity to leave the Lakers, the report added that the 11-time NBA champion coach will be back in Los Angeles, especially if Jeannie Buss successfully removes her brother and Lakers executive vice president of basketball operations, Jim, from his post.
"It's believed that as soon as Jeanie's brother Jim Buss -- blamed for the Lakers current free fall -- is somehow removed from the scene, Jackson will be back as soon as he can engineer it," Grange wrote.
It is also worth noting that Dolan reportedly has a backup plan. According to Frank Isola of New York Daily News, Dolan is eyeing Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri. But it remains to be seen whether or not Dolan will be able to convince Ujiri to move the Big Apple because of the success he is having in Toronto.
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