New York Knicks president Phil Jackson appears to be feeling the pressure upon the arrival of Isiah Thomas as the president and part-owner of Knicks' sister team, the New York Liberty.
Veteran NBA writer Frank Isola of the New York Daily News mentioned in his tweets on Sunday about Jackson fretting over the return of Thomas within the circle of James Dolan MSG business after the latter's ignominious stint with the Knickerbockers from 2006 to 2008.
Isola, who isn't shy of criticizing Jackson's transactions (including the trade that sent Iman Shumpert and JR Smith to the Cleveland Cavaliers for virtually nothing), accused the 11-time champion head coach of not caring enough for the Knicks despite signing a $60MM deal last year.
"The way Phil's tweeting I now say it's 50-50 that Isiah makes the Knicks pick," Isola tweeted.
The writer even recapped Jackson's uneventful year at the office that features missing on a protégé who is now on the brink of making it in the NBA finals in only his maiden season with the Golden State Warriors, Carmelo Anthony's early exit due to knee injury and becoming the biggest loser of the draft lottery after their projected no.2 overall pick turned into no.4 overall.
"Phil's year: didn't land Kerr, 17 wins, Carmelo hurt, J.R. & Iman winning with Cavs, Isiah's back, fall from 2 to 4 in draft & those tweets," Isola tweets.
After pulling off a series of salary-saving transactions last season, the Knicks will have a massive load of cap space to spend for max-contract free-agents such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo. They have also expressed their willingness to trade their no.4 overall pick for an established veteran, but they can also use it to bolster their backcourt by drafting Emmanuel Mudial or D'Angelo Russell.
To make the story short, this is going to be a make-or-break summer for Jackson, who cannot afford to squander another opportunity to improve the team.