The Triangle Effect: A New York Knicks Story.

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The Triangle Effect: A New York Knicks Story.

First MyLeague story here with my beloved Knicks. Come along with me as I try to make the Triangle Offense work for the Knicks.

Phil Jackson forced the triangle offense on the New York Knicks in his three years as president of basketball operations. The old-school play did not lead to success, and the team knew it could not work. But it didn't have to be that way.

It immediately started off on the wrong foot when Jackson hired recently retired Derek Fisher as head coach. Fisher was inexperienced and ended up being fired in his second season. Jackson had lost out on his #1 target Steve Kerr who went on to lead the Golden State Warriors to 3 NBA titles. Jackson in later years said "“Perhaps the best thing I could’ve done was just coach the team myself." Let's see what could have happened if he did.

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Reserved for Stories

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Reserved for Rosters

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Reserved for History.

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Phil Jackson set to coach Knicks.

NEW YORK --- The New York Knicks have an agreement in place with President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson to become the team's next coach, according to multiple outlets, including ESPNNewYork.com.


The Knicks have scheduled a news conference at 11:30 a.m. ET Tuesday to "make a major announcement."

Asked in a group of three reporters about Jackson hiring himself to be the next Knicks Head Coach, General Manager Steve Mills said, we reviewed all options and we decided this was our best course of action.

Jackson initially sought Steve Kerr for the Knicks vacancy. Kerr accepted an offer to coach the Golden State Warriors instead of the Knicks. Jackson essentially put his coaching search on hold to wait to speak to Derek Fisher after missing out on initial top Kerr. Fisher seemingly didn't impress Jackson and Mills enough in the interview process.

Since Jackson agreed to take over as Knicks president in March, sources say he had always intended to hire a young coach he could mentor. He also wanted to hire a coach with whom he had a relationship. When he missed out on Kerr, and two other un-named targets, that was the final straw.

Sources maintain that freedom is important to Jackson, who wants to establish and maintain an on-the-floor role in his first-ever stint as the lead decision-maker in the front office for a franchise.

Kerr was unquestionably Jackson's top choice -- Jackson revealed late last month that he had a verbal commitment from Kerr before Golden State began negotiating with him.

But the idea was always to hire someone he's worked with in the past who would also welcome Jackson's on-the-floor presence at training camp and practices, thus allowing the 68-year-old to have more of an impact than he might have if restricted to a front-office role.

Jackson seemingly had no other coaches willing to come in an run the vaunted triangle offense with him looming over them.

Jackson takes over a Knicks team that finished with just 37 wins last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Jackson fired Mike Woodson and his coaching staff shortly after the conclusion of the regular season. Mills and Jackson will work together to fill out the coaching staff.

Bill Cartwright has already interviewed for a position on staff. Other candidates include Kurt Rambis, Luke Walton, Ron Harper and Jim Cleamons. Jackson is the 26th coach in franchise history and the eighth since Jeff Van Gundy left the post in 2001.

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Mavericks, Knicks pull off big trade.

The Mavericks and the New York Knicks have consummated a six-player trade that sends center Tyson Chandler back to Dallas.

The Mavericks, who immediately made reacquiring Chandler one of their priorities after their first-round playoff exit against San Antonio, completed a trade with the Knicks that was clinched by agreeing to take back the contract of New York's out-of-favor guard Raymond Felton as well.

The trade cost Dallas two starters -- point guard Jose Calderon and center Samuel Dalembert -- along with prized young point guard Shane Larkin, reserve guard Wayne Ellington and the 34th and 51st picks in Thursday's draft.

The Knicks have agreed to trade Tyson Chandler (left) and Raymond Felton to the Mavericks. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
The deal was first reported by ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

Chandler is the player Dallas has missed most since it decided to let go several key contributors in free agency after the team's championship run in 2011.

Chandler, 31, wound up landing a four-year, $60 million deal in free agency with the Knicks that year, a deal that has one season remaining.

The departures of Chandler and Felton are believed to be just the start of a roster overhaul by new Knicks president and Head Coach Phil Jackson, with Jackson pursing as much salary-cap flexibility as he can in the hopes of convincing star free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony to stay.

"The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues," Jackson said in the announcement. "We have added players with this move that will fit right in to our system while maintaining future flexibility.

"We would like to thank Raymond and Tyson for their time and hard work with the organization over the past few years."

If the Knicks keep all players acquired in the deal they will have saved $3 million in cap space for this summer but forfeited $5.2 million in cap space in the summer of 2015, when they are expected to chase big-name free agents. The Knicks are currently over the salary cap and will only be able to use trade exceptions to lure free agents this summer.

The Mavericks will have approximately $26.5 million in salary cap space before re-signing Dirk Nowitzki to a hometown discount deal. A source told ESPNDallas.com that the Mavs' front office is optimistic that the addition of Chandler significantly increases the team's odds of successfully recruiting LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, two superstars available in free agency.


Calderon just finished the first season of a four-year, $28 million contract with the Mavericks, who also signed Monta Ellis to a multiyear deal last summer. It was the first time Dallas had committed to any player beyond one year since Nowitzki signed his most recent extension in 2010.

Nowitzki will join Anthony in free agency, but he is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks.

The Knicks are getting one of the best 3-pointer shooters and a steady hand at the point in Calderon, but he sometimes sat late in close games because he was a defensive liability. He averaged 11.4 points and shot 45 percent from 3-point range last season.

Felton is coming off a trouble-plagued season that included his arrest in February in a felony gun possession case. He was expected to plead guilty in exchange for community service and a $5,000 fine.

Dalembert had an up-and-down season in the first year of a two-year deal with Dallas, while Larkin and Ellington were used sparingly.

Larkin, the son of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and a first-round pick a year ago, saw his playing time drop dramatically when Devin Harris returned from toe surgery at midseason.

Harris is a free agent and wants to return to Dallas, but he would like the three-year contract he and the Mavericks agreed to last year before the toe injury scuttled the deal. He settled for a one-year contract.

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This is getting interesting

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2014 NBA Draft: New York Knicks select Nikola Jokic 34th overall, Antetokounmpo 51st.

NEW YORK, June 26, 2014 – New York Knickerbockers President Phil Jackson announced today that in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, the team has drafted Serbian power forward Nikola Jokic from Serbia with the 34th overall selection. He's a 6'11" and 235 pound 19 year-old that will probably be a Euro-stash prospect.

The Knicks also selected Thanasis Antetokounmpo from Athens, Greece and the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League with the 51st overall selection. Both picks were acquired yesterday from Dallas.

Antetokounmpo, 6-7, 215-pounds, averaged 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 50 games for the 87ers last season after playing professionally in Greece for two seasons.