By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
May 10, 2013
It’s little secret that ex-Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson wants to get back into the NBA as soon as next season. Jackson reportedly turned down a lucrative head coaching inquiry from the Brooklyn Nets because he’s interested in rejoining the league on the management side. That option won’t be in Brooklyn, as the Nets recently signed GM Billy King to a contract extension. With the Nets out of the picture, Jackson’s name has surfaced with at least two other teams.
Jackson volunteered to consult the Detroit Pistons on their head-coaching search. Given Joe Dumars’ lengthy tenure with the team, it’s unlikely Jackson will have a continued involvement with the Pistons once the search concludes. A more plausible option lies north of the border. Rumors are circulating that Jackson could take over as President of the Toronto Raptors, which is particularly intriguing since Tim Leiweke, previous head of the company that owned Staples Center and part of the Lakers, recently took over the company that owns the Raptors.
