Knicks part ways with president Phil Jackson: Six things to know

Knicks are looking for new leadership after a shameful run defined by arrogance and chasing big names

Phil Jackson is out as the New York Knicks' president of basketball operations, less than a week after the draft and just three days before free agency. While it feels an awful lot like a firing, the Knicks' press release claims that owner James Dolan and Jackson "mutually agreed to part ways." Sure.

As New York once again looks for new leadership and a pathway to respectability, here are six things to know about this split:

1. Dolan is going back on his word, but that's not necessarily bad

When Jackson was hired in 2014, it was in some ways a reaction to Dolan's reputation as a meddlesome owner, interfering with basketball decisions and making life difficult for whoever was supposed to be in charge of the front office. At Jackson's introductory press conference, Dolan made it extremely clear that he would stay out of the way and give Jackson full autonomy. When things were going badly last season, Dolan stuck to his guns: Jackson was in charge, and he'd get to finish his five-year contract. 

This represents a sudden and total about-face on Dolan's part. With the Knicks' reputation in the toilet -- and multiple public pleas for him to do something about it -- he apparently decided that enough is enough. The crazy thing about this is how important it seemed a few years ago for Jackson to have real job security and the authority to do what he wanted. Now it seems ridiculous that he even lasted this long, which leads us to …

2. The timing is terrible

Jackson's contract included a mutual option on the final two years of his contract. They exercised that months ago, meaning that he would be owed $24 million to stay with the team until the end of the 2018-19 season. If Dolan had simply waited until the end of the season to evaluate Jackson's future, he could have cut Jackson loose without owing him anything. Financially, the way this played out makes no sense. 

Nobody is crying about Dolan's financial situation, however. The really silly part of this is where we are in terms of the NBA calendar. No one knows for certain how good Frank Ntilikina, the point guard drafted No. 8 by New York last Thursday, will wind up being, but his selection was at least in part motivated by how well he fits in the triangle offense. There's no way the Knicks will run the triangle offense anymore. 

There is also the pesky fact that free agency is just about here. If agents want to get their clients to New York or teams want to negotiate trades, it sounds like they will call general manager Steve Mills for now. There's no telling how quickly Dolan will find Jackson's replacement, though, and it can't be easy for the organization to make any major moves before that replacement formulates short- and long-term plans.

3. This Ujiri plan seems unrealistic

Just about as soon as the news broke, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Dolan was targeting Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri. This is not the first time that Ujiri has been mentioned as a possible Jackson replacement, but getting him out of Toronto does not appear to be easy. The Raptors put out a press release on Wednesday announcing promotions for several members of their front office, and the second sentence reads, "Masai Ujiri will continue to oversee basketball operations as president of the club."

This is not to say that the Ujiri scenario should be completely dismissed. ESPN's Marc Stein reported that Tim Leiweke will serve as an advisor to the Knicks -- Leiweke is the man who helped Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment hire Ujiri away from the Denver Nuggets in 2013. New York could also offer Ujiri a ton of money.

Ujiri, however, has four years left on his contract in Toronto, and he has all the autonomy there he could ever want. It would be surprising if the Knicks were able to pull this off. 

4. It's difficult to overstate the importance of the next hire

Ujiri would be a home run, but if not him, then who is going to run the show? Would they just promote Allan Houston? Would Dolan consider bringing back his buddy Isiah Thomas? Obviously these outcomes would be completely different than bringing in an outsider like former Cavs general manager David Griffin. This decision will define the next era of New York basketball. If there's any team that needs a cultural course correction, it's the Knicks, and whoever is next needs to run the team with more humility. 

One major question facing the next person in charge: Is Jeff Hornacek the right coach for this team? It's difficult to judge him based on his one season under Jackson, running an offense that was essentially forced on him, but there's no guarantee he'll be on the same page as the new guy. 

5. The big winners here: Melo and Kristaps

If Carmelo Anthony wants to remain a Knick, this opens the door for that. If Kristaps Porzingis still wants to be the future face of the franchise, this helps. Jackson apparently wanted to teach Porzingis a lesson after the 21-year-old skipped his exit meeting, and ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that conversations about Jackson's departure "accelerated this week when the Knicks decided they would NOT buy out Carmelo."

This doesn't mean that everything will suddenly be rosy, particularly for Anthony. He is 33 years old and New York is nowhere near contention, and in all likelihood he's in store for another losing season. At least he won't be undermined by his own front office and potentially forced out, though. 

6. The Jackson era will not be remembered fondly

Jackson will forever be the man who drafted Porzingis, and he deserves credit for that. It was not a popular pick at the time. Jackson also, however, alienated him. And then there's the way he handled Anthony, plus the failed Derek Fisher experiment, plus the Derrick Rose trade, plus the Joakim Noah signing. And, you know, the insistence on running the triangle despite never assembling a roster equipped to do so. 

Jackson's legacy as a coach is unimpeachable. His brief tenure as an executive, though, made him appear out of touch with the modern NBA and the style of communication that is required in his position. Instead of patiently rebuilding the team, he tried to surround Anthony with veterans who could fast-track New York's return to the playoffs. That did not work, and by the time Jackson said he had decided to change course, three seasons had been wasted. It'll be up to somebody else to restore the Knicks' relevance.