SAN ANTONIO — Knicks coaching candidate Derek Fisher may not only turn out to be a better leader as a head coach one day than Steve Kerr but perhaps a better recruiter. And one guy Fisher may not have a problem recruiting is his current Oklahoma City teammate Kevin Durant.
Durant will be a free agent in 2016. Knicks president Phil Jackson already has braced for the possibility of striking out in the 2015 free-agent bonanza, especially if Kevin Love and LeBron James are off the market. Their Plan D is Durant, who thinks the world of Fisher as a potential head coach and hails from Maryland, where Carmelo Anthony was also raised after moving to Baltimore at age 9.
When asked Tuesday by The Post if he felt Fisher had the attributes to be a solid coach, Durant said, “Without a doubt. He’s a smart guy, smart mind. He’s a great motivator, great speaker and can really relate to a lot of guys and demands that respect from everybody. He’s a great locker-room guy. I’m sure he’ll do a great job.’’
Fisher did a great job on the court in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, coming off the bench to pour in 16 points in 24 minutes with two steals, making 4-of-6 3-pointers. An Oklahoma City source said Fisher is in better shape this season than last and certainly having a more productive season in shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
“He looks good to me,’’ Durant said. “He’s taking care of himself and playing well.’’
Fisher said during training camp this would be his final season. It could all end conceivably Sunday night as the Thunder trail 1-0 and don’t have key big man Serge Ibaka. That’s when Jackson, who teamed with Fisher to five titles with the Lakers, can pounce.
Asked if there’s any wavering regarding retirement, Fisher said, “That’s how I felt in training camp. I didn’t sign a contract [to retire] and etch it in stone. But that’s how I feel. That’s still how I feel. My mind hasn’t really changed.’’
With Durant on the quiet side and Russell Westbrook’s enigmatic, combative personality, Fisher is a vital voice in the locker room.
“He’s like the leader of the team,’’ an Oklahoma City source said.
Nick Collison said Fisher was born to coach.
“I’m sure he’s thinking about it in the back of his mind but he’s great for us on the court and off the court,’’ Collison said. “If that’s the field he chooses, I think he’ll be great. He’s unique, one-of-a-kind. The only guy I ever played with who can address the team in a way as a leader. He’s able to address the team more so than anybody I played with and he backs it up on the court, too.’’
Fisher certainly can make more as a coach than player, where he’s worth the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum. The Knicks offered new Warriors coach Steve Kerr $4.4 million per year last week.
Reggie Miller, during a TNT broadcast, suggested Fisher should look into being a player/coach like the old days. But on a conference call Tuesday, Miller said he was “making a joke,’’ that it can’t be done “wearing two hats’’ in the modern era.
Nevertheless, Miller said he wouldn’t be surprised either way whether Fisher coaches the Knicks or returns to Oklahoma City.
“The way he shot the ball [Monday] night I don’t think he’s ready to retire,’’ Miller said. “He looked like he had something left in the tank. Obviously, it will come down to if he thinks he’s ready to take that next step to be a professional head coach.“I’m sure he’ll sit down with Phil after the season. If there’s one guy who knows the triangle in and out, it would be Derek Fisher, part of those great championship runs. I think he could be a great coach. He has a great basketball mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave him a shot.’’
The Post reported Jackson is willing to expand his search and hire someone not familiar with the triangle offense, opening the door a crack for Mark Jackson.
People in Mark Jackson’s inner circle believe he has some interest in the job but is wary of Jackson’s heavy-handed influence from the president’s box.
“He certainly should get an interview going off his résumé,’’ Miller said. “He certainly should get an interview. I’m not saying he should get the job. If Phil wants to go with someone whom he’s familiar with and understands triangle, he has every right to do that. Certainly Mark Jackson should get an interview. He’s born and bred in New York, knows the media landscape. He knows the climate of the New York Knicks. That should warrant at least an interview.’’