The Knicks are expected to announce Mike Woodson’s new contract as coach sometime “this week,” according to a source familiar with the situation. Lawyers began hammering out details on the pact last week and are committed to getting it done before Memorial Day weekend.
Woodson could get a three-year contract — which is the length of time left on the pacts of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.
It has been 13 days since the Knicks’ season ended, but the contract delay was understandable because Woodson had to fire his agent, Joe Glass, upon request from Knicks owner James Dolan. Glass and Dolan have feuded dating to the Larry Brown contract dispute in 2006.
It is believed Woodson hired lawyers from Creative Artists Agency, which represents Anthony, J.R. Smith, team personnel director Mark Warkentien and assistant general manager Allan Houston. League insiders half-jokingly say C.A.A. runs the Knicks. A source said C.A.A. also tried to swipe Jeremy Lin from agent Roger Montgomery.
Dolan never reached out to former Bulls and Lakers coach Phil Jackson, presumably because he was concerned whether Jackson would fit into the stringent corporate structure discouraging coaches from speaking their mind.