New Knicks coach Derek Fisher is already campaigning to keep star forward Carmelo Anthony in town with him.
"We want Carmelo to be here," Fisher told the Chicago Tribune following a press conference to formally introduce him as the first coaching hire of the Phil Jackson era.
Phil Jackson to meet with Derek Fisher
The Knicks reportedly inked Fisher to a five-year, $25 million deal and right away the savvy, five-time NBA champion went to work in earning his keep. "Obviously, he has a chance," he added of Anthony. "We'll do everything we can to keep him.
The NBA's second leading scorer to MVP Kevin Durant can officially become a free agent on July 1, at which point several squads are expected to come calling. The Bulls, Rockets, Mavs and Lakers have all expressed varying degrees of interest in Anthony.
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"I can speak from experience that as a player, free agency is something that you want to experience," added Fisher. "You enjoy the process. But ultimately, you make a choice that you think is best for you and your family. We obviously firmly believe that here is that place for Carmelo. And we're going to do our best not to convince him or change his mind from maybe a decision that he's already made but give him some confidence that with the personalities involved and our commitment to working hard to achieve success, this is place where he can have what he wants."
Later, Jackson joked that he would have Fisher wear all five of his NBA title rings whenever the two of them meet with Anthony as a team. Jackson previously met with Anthony at a Manhattan steak house where he too expressed his desire to keep him in the fold.
"He wants to be on a great team and around great people that want to achieve greatness," said Fisher. "He's great. And he deserves that. And so that's what we want to work to create with him. And hopefully we can do it."
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