Knicks president Phil Jackson is building a team through free agency, but it looks like he’s building an expansion team.
Hours after getting a verbal commitment on serviceable starting shooting guard Arron Afflalo, Jackson received a big blow when Pistons free-agent center Greg Monroe, the Knicks’ most realistic big-man target, shunned New York for Milwaukee.
As a decent consolation prize, Jackson is on the verge of a deal with Blazers free-agent defensive center Robin Lopez, who met with the Knicks on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. A source told The Post the Knicks won’t finalize the deal with Lopez until they know Clippers center DeAndre Jordan’s decision. Jackson is holding out faint hope after meeting with the shot-blocking center for three hours Thursday and wasn’t told no.
The Knicks will reportedly commit $12 million to $13 million a year to Lopez, an active defender with some post-up skills. But Brook Lopez’s twin brother is a role player and a signing would leave the Knicks with just $8 million left to spend, of which a good portion could be spent on Rockets combo guard Patrick Beverley.
Monroe said last weekend he wanted to play for a team “ready to win” and wished to be “the missing piece.” That will be with the 41-41, sixth-seeded Bucks and coach Jason Kidd — not the 17-65 Knicks.
Monroe’s contract starts at his maximum annual salary of $16 million and runs for three years (a total of $50 million), with an out after two years. Monroe’s agent, David Falk, told The Post all four teams they met with, including the Knicks, Lakers and Blazers, offered Monroe the max. There were suggestions coming from the Garden the Knicks never offered Monroe the max, perhaps to spin it away from Monroe deeming the team’s roster unsuitable.
“For the record, the Knicks offered the maximum for any number of years Greg wanted,’’ Falk said. “It was misreported. Money was not an issue.’’
The day became a bigger bust for Jackson when it became known his pie-in-the-sky big-man target, LaMarcus Aldridge, is no longer considering the Knicks. In fact, Aldridge canceled his late Thursday meeting with Jackson, Derek Fisher and Steve Mills, but added the Heat and met with the Lakers a second time.
The Knicks got an audience with Jordan, who was said to be impressed with Jackson’s pitch. But sources indicated before the meeting the Knicks are long shots because they are not a viable contender. That’s the pattern unfolding this week, starting with The Post’s report David West wouldn’t consider the Knicks because of their low-level status.
The Knicks also have considered making a trade for a big man, as they can inherit big contracts with the $20 million left on their cap space following Afflalo’s two-year, $16 million deal.
Golden State has explored dealing ex-Knicks power forward David Lee, who wants to play in New York and has one year and $15.5 million left on his pact. According to a source, this scenario has been discussed among the parties. Pacers center Roy Hibbert, who opted in to the last year of his deal ($14 million) and shares an agent with Monroe, reportedly is available as well, and the Knicks have interest.
Ever since owner James Dolan fired general manager Glen Grunwald and rehired Mills four days before the 2013 training camp, the Knicks targeted making a splash in 2015 free agency and made every move since to protect cap space. But visions of putting free agents Marc Gasol (staying in Memphis), Kevin Love (Cleveland), Aldridge and Goran Dragic (Miami) in orange and blue never materialized. The Knicks didn’t meet with any of them.
Jackson got his powwow at midnight Wednesday with Monroe, the 6-foot-11 former Georgetown center, but couldn’t close the deal. The Bucks went next at 2 a.m.
Falk said Monroe had too many losing years in Detroit and decided Milwaukee’s roster was closer to producing a playoff berth. Falk listed Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams and John Henson as guys Monroe wanted to play with.
Falk said the Knicks’ pitch was fine, but the roster wasn’t.
“This isn’t the Academy Awards — the Knicks did a great job, the Knicks didn’t have to make a pitch,’’ Falk said. “Phil Jackson, the name speaks for itself. He’s won more championships than anyone. The Garden speaks for itself. In this compressed free agency, if they had added two players, three players, it may have been different, but that didn’t happen. It was about who was on the roster. [Monroe] likes Milwaukee’s young nucleus.’’
Monroe played five losing seasons in Detroit. “Five years with five different coaches,’’ Falk said. “He’s never played a single game in the playoffs. At this point of his career, he wanted to be with a team that will be in the playoffs immediately. That’s what’s important to him now. In three years, maybe it’s different.
“We handpicked all four teams, and he would have been comfortable with any of them,’’ Falk added. “But being in the East is a little easier than the West.’’
Many thought Falk, a friend of Jackson’s, would steer Monroe to the Knicks and a report surfaced recently stating it was “all but a done deal.’’ But that proved erroneous when Jackson didn’t have Monroe in the bag after the first day of free agency.
Without Lopez, the Knicks still don’t have a single traditional power forward or center signed for next season. Other free-agent possibilities at lower costs are Bismack Biyombo and Kendrick Perkins. The Knicks also would like to retain center Jason Smith and are talking to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.