After months of searching, Phil Jackson is closing in on hiring the next head coach of the New York Knicks. Although Steve Kerr appeared to be man for the job, the Knicks were left scrambling for an alternative after Kerr accepted the head coaching position with the Golden State Warriors.
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Fortunately, the Knicks had another option in Derek Fisher. The five-time NBA champion may have been unsure about his immediate future in terms of coaching, but it may be only a matter of time before he starts down a new career path as a head coach under Jackson in New York.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Fisher becoming the new head coach of the Knicks may be a foregone conclusion:
The New York Knicks’ pursuit of Derek Fisher to be their new coach will ramp up this week and is widely expected to result in the hiring of the 18-year veteran guard, according to NBA coaching sources.
With Kerr out of the picture and Fisher now available, no other candidates seem to be seriously considered for the Knicks head coaching vacancy. Fisher is Jackson’s main target moving forward via Stein:
Sources told ESPN.com that new Knicks president Phil Jackson has been fully focused on Fisher since Steve Kerr unexpectedly decided to take the Golden State Warriors’ job, when Jackson and essentially the whole league believed Kerr was bound for New York.
Along with the Knicks in hot pursuit of the 18-year veteran, the Los Angeles Lakers made things that much easier for Jackson by letting it be known they have no interest in pursuing Fisher as their next head coach. Byron Scott continues to be considered the frontrunner for the Lakers with the coaching search ongoing.
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As for Fisher, it may be only a matter of time before the announcement is made that he’ll be the new head coach of the Knicks. If Fisher ultimately decides to take the job, it’ll be interesting to see who will be on his coaching staff and if any familiar faces from Los Angeles head to New York to join him.
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