Seth Wenig/AP
The Knicks, who haven't made the playoffs in the last three seasons, are 3-6 with the worst defense in the NBA, despite a flashy offseason that included trading for Derrick Rose and signing Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee for a combined $122 million.
However, Jackson apparently has no plans of abandoning the ship. In an interview with ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, Jackson said he plans on finishing out his five-year contract with the Knicks in hopes of getting them back to championship contention.
Additionally, Jackson shot down a popular theory about the opt-out clause he has this summer. Many in the NBA world have speculated that Jackson may be interested in leaving the Knicks to return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson not only helped the Lakers win five championships as head coach, his fiancée, Jeanie Buss, is president of the team.
"It was never important to me to go back and be a part of [the Lakers]," Jackson said. "Especially not now. I have this job, this commitment."
When MacMullan pressed Jackson about the reason for his opt-out clause this summer, he gave a somewhat odd explanation - it's there in case the NBA has a lockout in 2017.
"The real issue with the opt out was simply my rationale regarding the (potential) lockout. If it was going to happen in December and everybody chose to walk away, there was no way I was going to sit in New York for three, four months when I didn't have a job, because (the players) aren't even allowed to show up to work. So, in that case, I would go back to L.A."
While it makes sense that Jackson wouldn't want to stay in New York for several months while the league was in a lockout - he told MacMullan that his long-distance relationship with Buss is difficult and that he doesn't get to see his grandchildren often - that also doesn't necessitate an opt-out clause. If the NBA was in a lockout, Jackson could leave New York to go back to California at his leisure. Barring a completely lost season, he could return when the lockout was over.
Some also wonder if Jackson will want to finish out his contract because of his age. Jackson is 71 years old, and with a history of back ailments, has trouble traveling with the team. By the final years of the deal, Jackson may want a break from the rigors of the job (and New York winters) to return to his fiancée, former team, and sunnier California.
It looks like the NBA is going to be able to avoid a lockout, so it doesn't seem Jackson will have to exercise his opt-out. In the meantime, it appears he has more work to do with the Knicks.