NBA

Jackson hoping to have Knicks coach in place before European vacation

Phil Jackson has a lot of motivation to get his coaching search done in the next 10 days.

According to an NBA source, Jackson is flying to Turkey in mid-June with his fiancée, Lakers president Jeanie Buss, for nearly a week to attend his son Ben’s wedding.

Jackson desperately wants the coaching search wrapped up before his European vacation with Buss, who has some interest in Derek Fisher for the Lakers’ front office, if not as head coach.

The NBA source said Jackson, who has five kids, originally planned to make it a two-week Turkish holiday before he had accepted the Knicks presidency in mid-March. Jackson, however, didn’t want to miss the NBA Draft on June 26, though he never figured he would still be searching for a coach in early June.

Though he doesn’t have a draft pick, Jackson plans to buy one in the second round.

Fisher, the leading candidate for the Knicks job, seemed cognizant of Jackson’s urgency late Saturday after Oklahoma City got eliminated in the Western Conference finals when he said: “I’ll try to do that as soon as possible for all parties involved and make the decisions that need to be made.’’

That Jackson is physically fit to make the journey to Turkey is a good sign for those holding out hope of him coaching the team himself this season. Jackson, 68, has cited his flagging health, saying he is unable to stand the excessive plane travel. Buss, however, has attempted to convince him to return to the bench.

On Friday, when asked about coaching, Jackson said: “I’m always going to be interested in coaching. It’s whether I can do it or not. I have to understand the level of my physical capabilities. At this point, I don’t see it unless the Lord heals me in the next week or two. I wouldn’t see myself feeling physically prepared to take on the grind of coaching a basketball team right now.’’

Jackson has had a hip replacement and a knee replacement and The Post has reported he will need a second knee replacement in the future. Jackson also overcame prostate cancer and has battled heart issues for many years, once needing an angioplasty.

If Fisher falls through, Jackson can look at his two former assistants who are triangle wizards in Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons. Jackson has also interviewed veteran coach Mike Dunleavy.

According to a person in his inner circle, Mark Jackson may be reluctant to coach the Knicks with too heavy an influence from the president’s office, making it a bad match. The Zen Master has been interested in interviewing the ex-Knick and former St. John’s star, who is working the NBA Finals for ABC.

Fisher and Jackson should hold their first conversation by week’s end, though Jackson needs permission from Oklahoma City to speak with Fisher. The Thunder filed a complaint with the NBA Monday over Jackson’s comments that Fisher, who is under contract to Oklahoma City until June 30, was on his list of coaching candidates. The league fined Jackson $25,000.