With Phil Jackson having the ability to opt out of his contract with the New York Knicks after this season, there’s been a lot of speculation that he might return to the Los Angeles Lakers in some capacity.
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According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, Jackson returning to the Lakers may be a stretch as he intends to stay with the Knicks of the entirety of his five-year deal:
Jackson fully intends to finish the two years after this season on his Knicks contract, according to NBA sources. Despite all the attention on his opt-out clause in 2017, he might even want to do a new deal that starts in 2019.
Although anything can happen in professional sports these days, leaving the Knicks is becoming less and less of a possibility. Jackson, who led the Lakers to five NBA titles during his time in Los Angeles, is still trying to right the ship in New York and clearly has unfinished business.
As for the Lakers, the rebuilding process continues in the post-Phil Jackson era. It has been rocky road for the storied franchise since Jackson decided to walk away, but one of his prized pupils may have what it takes to turn things around in Los Angeles.
First-year head coach Luke Walton has earned the respect of his young team in his short time as the leader on the sidelines. Even though the team has hit a rough patch with eight straight losses, the team still seems headed in the right direction with this young squad led by D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.
Jackson’s immediate future, however, seems to be in New York unless something drastically changes between now and the end of the 2016-17 campaign.