Summary: Phil Jackson can run the New York Knicks if he wants to. That is the word on the street this morning, although he will NOT become their next head coach. For insight into the reasons why, check out this column from Charley Rosen. But if he accepts the job, he is going to have his work cutout for him. Although the Knicks have won three straight games and are still in contention for a playoff spot in the East, they still qualify as the most disappointing team in the entire NBA for the 2013-14 season. And moving forward, the cupboard is bare. The Knicks have traded away their first-round draft picks in 2014 and 2016, along with all of their second-round picks from 2014-17. If Jackson is going to come aboard and make changes, his fist order of business will be to keep one thing the same -- convincing Carmelo Anthony to remain in New York after he opts out of the final year of his contract. RELATED: New York Knicks salary cap analysis If New York is going to make a splash in free agency, it won't happen for more than a year. That's when the contracts of Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani come off the cap. But a hiring of Jackson could tip the balance in New York's favor this summer when Anthony will be courted by the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, among others. More on the Jackson possibility in this podcast with Jody MacDonald of CBSSportsRadio.
