Knicks coach Mike Woodson and Phil Jackson were ironing out a time to meet early next week to discuss his future, according to an NBA source familiar with the situation.
Woodson was not invited to be part of the exit meetings with the Knicks’ 14 players that occurred Thursday and Friday, with Jackson and general manager Steve Mills running them. It was a strong indicator Woodson wouldn’t be asked back.
Woodson has not been told he’s not coming back, the source said. However, The Post has reported Steve Kerr already expects to be Woodson’s successor.
Jackson has kept his distance from Woodson since taking over in March and didn’t travel with the team or attend practices. But Jackson likely would want to pick Woodson’s brain regarding the roster and what went wrong. ESPN New York reported Woodson, if he has no chance to save his job, preferred to have his agent talk with Jackson. But Woodson has been convinced otherwise, the NBA source said.
“He didn’t want to be interfering,’’ one person close to Jackson said on why Jackson stayed away. “It was too late to change anything. What was he going to do, say ‘Here’s the triangle’ for the last five games?”
Woodson has one year and $3.4M left on his pact after Mills exercised his option in training camp to ease the bitterness of GM Glen Grunwald’s firing and ensure he wasn’t viewed a lame duck.
Woodson is expected to be let go next week but the sitdown will be Woodson’s chance to state his case after the Knicks finished the season on a 16-5 run to finish 37-45 – a 17-game fall over last season.
His Knicks record in 2 ½ seasons is 109-79.
”I think it’s been enough said about my job all year with you guys,” Woodson said Wednesday before the season finale. “Hopefully, soon I’ll know my destination in terms of where I’m going to be.”
Lakers big man Pau Gasol will be a free agent this summer and said he wouldn’t mind a reunion with his former coach, Jackson. However, it seems impossible unless Gasol is willing to take the Knicks’ $3.1 million mini-midlevel exception. The Knicks, under new collective bargaining agreement policy, are in a luxury-tax bracket that doesn’t allow them to obtain a free agent through a sign-and-trade.
“I’m happy for [Jackson] and the position that he got,” Gasol said. “I’m always going to be a big fan and a friend. I would listen.”
Gasol said he’s unsure if he wants to re-sign with the Lakers, admitting Mike D’Antoni’s offense didn’t fit him