Phil Jackson may be turning frugal for now
Knicks president Phil Jackson watches his team play the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA summer league game Friday, July 11, 2014, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP / John Locher
After locking up Carmelo Anthony with a nine-figure contract, Phil Jackson said the Knicks might not spend much more in free agency -- at least this summer.
"I want to be fiscally responsible," the Knicks president said after summer league practice Sunday. "We've been a taxpayer team for a little bit and we want to limit that. So we're not just going to foolishly throw money away because it's available to us to load up. We want to make an appropriate move that brings our team forward."
Barring a trade to clear some room this offseason, the Knicks will have only the $3.2-million taxpayer midlevel exception and minimum contracts to offer free agents. The Knicks also have a $3.6-million trade exception they acquired from Dallas in the six-player trade last month.
Jackson said he will try to add some bigger players. The Knicks have 10 players who are guards or wings.
"We have a roster that's at a position that we can't add a whole lot of players," he said. "We have to do some shedding of some roster spots to add. We're a little bit long in the guard corps, so we have to do some roster management there."
Jackson also doesn't want to do anything to impact how much the Knicks can spend next summer, when they will have the cap space to sign a marquee free agent and are expected to be very aggressive.
Notes & quotes: Jackson gave Lamar Odom, who has had some off-the-court issues, a chance to resurrect his career, and he said he was disappointed he had to cut him. "It hurt," Jackson said. "It hurt. We really wanted him to have an opportunity. Just couldn't kind of break free from what was going on and get back on the basketball court and work." . . . Former Thunder assistant Brian Keefe will join Derek Fisher's staff as an assistant coach.
