New York Knicks president Phil Jackson sounded even more zen than you'd expect when talking about the future of free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday, via the New York Daily News' Peter Botte:
Phil Jackson on Carmelo Anthony’s decision: ‘We’re going forward anyway’
Phil Jackson will try to get Carmelo Anthony to take a pay cut. If they can’t come to an agreement, Jackson doesn’t think it’ll be a disaster.
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“I’m all about moving forward,” Jackson said at the team’s practice facility in Greenburgh. “Just deal with what is and move forward. If it’s in the cards, man, are we fortunate. If it’s not in the cards, man, are we fortunate. We’re going forward anyway.”
Jackson went on to tell reporters the exit meeting with the star forward went “very well,” and that he hopes Anthony will take a pay cut for the good of the team, via Botte:
“That’s, I think, a precedent that’s been set,” Jackson said. “Because the way things have been structured now financially for teams is that it’s really hard to have one or two top stars or max players, and to put together a team with enough talent, you’ve got to have people making sacrifices financially.
“So we hope that Carmelo is true to his word and we understand what it’s going to take and we will present that to him at that time.”
Making reference to what Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs have done -- Duncan signed a three-year, $30 million deal with San Antonio in 2012 -- Jackson called this sort of financial sacrifice "the beginning of team play," via Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
Anthony said back at All-Star Weekend that he’d be willing to consider taking less money, and he’s said consistently over the course of the season that winning is his highest priority. If Jackson is going to convince Anthony to stay, he’ll likely have to sell him on New York being the best place for him to win. If that’s not possible, it sounds like the Zen Master won’t exactly freak out about it.
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