NBA

Kerr: ‘We never agreed,’ but deal with Knicks was ‘very, very close’

OKLAHOMA CITY — Steve Kerr, in response to Phil Jackson’s remark that he had “a commitment” from him to coach the Knicks, didn’t dispute the Zen Master, saying “we were very, very close’’ and “I thought I was coming there.”

Nevertheless, Kerr said there was not a deal done when he jumped at the Warriors offer of five years and $22 million.

Kerr said Saturday night one roadblock was his TNT commitment made it tough on negotiations, and he met with Jackson only once, as they communicated mostly over the phone, making it “tricky.’’

“It’s not inaccurate,’’ Kerr said before broadcasting possibly his final game for TNT Saturday night in Game 6 of the Oklahoma City-San Antonio Western Conference finals. “We were very, very close. We never agreed to a deal. But we were very close. Things kind of went back and forth a bit. I thought I was coming there. Phil couldn’t have handled it any better. As I said last week, he knew I had to be 100 percent sure and he gave me the space I needed. It was just a better fit — Golden State.’’

Jackson, who told Carmelo Anthony that Kerr would be the coach, said he received the commitment a day before the Golden State job opened and ultimately “released” him. Kerr reportedly turned down the Warriors’ first overture for an interview. Kerr said he never spoke to Knicks owner James Dolan during the process.

“I’m not upset he expressed it that way,’’ Kerr said. “[But] ultimately there’s got to be a full commitment. It has to feel right and everybody’s got to be happy with it. It includes a lot of different things — contractually, structural. We never quite got the whole thing done, but we were very close.’’