TNT analyst Steve Kerr has emerged as a potential head coaching candidate for the New York Knicks. Retired Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, meanwhile, is reportedly no closer to a deal with the Knicks.
Kerr, a former Chicago Bulls guard whom Jackson coached, could be an early favorite for Knicks' expected coaching vacancy this summer.
Per Marc Berman of the New York Post:
"And one very interesting name has already popped up: Steve Kerr, a sharpshooting guard who played for Jackson when he coached the Bulls. The former Suns general manager now works for TNT, but is on record saying he wants to coach next season, and his hat was thrown in the ring during ABC's broadcast of the Bulls-Heat game Sunday. ...
"One person familiar with Jackson's thinking said he would probably want to hire a coach familiar with his trademark triangle offense, which Kerr is."
The New York Daily News also reported Kerr as being a possibility.
"If - that's if - Phil Jackson runs the Knicks don't rule out the team's next coach being...Steve Kerr," Frank Isola of The Daily News tweeted on Monday. "A current NBA coach says that Steve Kerr wants to coach and that 'he'll be really good. He's smart and he's a good leader.'"
Despite a report claiming the Jackson-Knicks hiring would be complete by Monday, the deal will reportedly take longer to finalize - if at all.
"Source: Phil Jackson and NYK expected to finalize deal by end of the week," ESPN's Chris Broussard tweeted on Tuesday. "Announcement could be made next week."
While most media outlets - such as ESPN and The Post - believe Jackson will end up in the Knicks' front office, at least one NBA insider doesn't believe it's a sure-thing.
"...Still no assurance an agreement will be reached," Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted on Tuesday. "No one in Jackson's world thinks deal is 'close,' that's for sure."
Jackson reportedly turned down the Knicks' initial pitch of hiring him to be their next head coach.
