BY DANIEL POPPER

Jeff Hornacek and Phil Jackson apparently had grand plans for Austin Rivers this past offseason before the former free agent opted to re-sign with the Clippers.

Rivers, whose name has surfaced as a possible piece in a Carmelo Anthony trade, revealed Wednesday that Hornacek and Jackson traveled to his home in Orlando this
summer to deliver their pitch. And the Knicks, who face the Clippers at home Wednesday night, were close to landing the 24-year-old. They were one of three or four finalists, according to Rivers.

“They were a huge option,” said Rivers, the son of Clippers head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers. “That was a team I was really considering.”

In the meeting, Hornacek told Austin he intended on starting him alongside Derrick Rose in the backcourt. When Rivers returned to Los Angeles, the Knicks signed Courtney Lee as their starting shooting guard.

“Jeff had a vision, I think, of playing a little bit up-tempo,” Rivers said. “When they were talking about me, Jeff obviously coached that Suns team and he wanted to get up and down. He thought me and Derrick could play together and get up and down and start 1 or 2. So it was definitely pretty cool.”

Rivers said his meeting with Jackson — which included “a little bit” of triangle talk — was particularly eye opening.

“Sitting down with Phil Jackson in general is cool for me. I’d never really met him or talked to him like that,” Rivers said. “So to talk to one of the most knowledgeable (coaches) and a great like that, just to sit down with him? You got to understand. My rookie year, first two years in the league, nobody even wanted me. So to go from that and work all the way to where this year I got to really choose where I wanted to go and have four, five, six teams to narrow it down to…that meant a lot to me. It just showed that hard work has paid off and that it’s all a process.”

Despite the Knicks' efforts, Rivers turned down their offer in favor of playing for his father. But he could still find his way to New York before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.

Jackson has made it abundantly clear — most recently this week with a not-so-subtle Twitter jab — that he no longer believes he can win with Anthony. And the Daily News reported last month that the Knicks are open to dealing Melo to the Clippers without receiving Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan in return.

Considering the Knicks’ pursuit of Rivers in the offseason, it would make sense for him to be included in a prospective deal. Doc Rivers told reporters in late January he’d be willing to trade his son if it meant improving his roster. But Doc said Wednesday he hasn’t felt the need to address the situation with Austin.

“It wasn’t that hot here,” Doc said of the trade talks.

“It’s just part of the business,” Austin said. “It is what it is. I knew that coming here. I knew that coming into the NBA. I grew up around it my whole life. It’s always a business first, and it’s always about winning first — no matter who’s on the team. …So I know it’s part of the business, and it didn’t disturb me at all. You can only control what you can control
anyway.”

I think it'd be a decent haul... especially if we can flip Crawford for a pick. Philly needs outside shooting and tried to offer Manu Ginobili 2yr $33 Million last off-season, so they may not balk at having $30M guaranteed to Jamal the next few years.

Honestly, I love Jamal and I wouldn't mind having him by an old head / shooter on the team here for a few years. Once a Knick, Always a Knick!

nixluva wrote:Yeah I think you do have to just take that kind of deal and move forward. The fresh start and picks is more important than trying to hold out for some dream of equal value.

I think Phil waits until the deadline to see where Cleveland stands on Love and Boston stands with their situations. If both teams refuse to give up what Phil wants, he will turn back to LA and take their best offer. There is still no rush to get it done until the deadline. LA still has Chris Paul out, so they are buying time with their guards until he returns. I have no doubt a deal will get done, but i bet it comes at the deadline.

Knixkik wrote:Melo is likely headed to LA. We are going to get back Rivers, and try to include a 3rd team to take Crawford and/or Redick. I think the holdup is them fighting over the inclusion of Redick, who can definitely get the Knicks back a 1st round pick from a contender, but leaves the Clippers extremely bare at SG. If we land Rivers, Brice Johnson, 2021 draft pick, and another 1st round pick via 3rd team, we have to take it at this point and just move on.

If he makes the deal better and we get a little extra something back that is fine. I like Holiday a lot but he's also a FA. He's been good for us and overall has been a pleasant surprise in my opinion, but we can move on without him if needed.

I agree... this has Melo to LA written all over it.

crzymdups wrote:

nixluva wrote:Yeah I think you do have to just take that kind of deal and move forward. The fresh start and picks is more important than trying to hold out for some dream of equal value.

Haha, it looks like Melo might have other ideas... well played Phil

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/TheVertical/status/829433773708214272

fishmike wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

nixluva wrote:Yeah I think you do have to just take that kind of deal and move forward. The fresh start and picks is more important than trying to hold out for some dream of equal value.

Haha, it looks like Melo might have other ideas... well played Phil

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/TheVertical/status/829433773708214272

He wont stay. He's too sensitive. If there is a deal with the Clippers he will go. The team stinks. You think he wants to be booed every night? And he will be.. if he refused to waive it to flex his muscles every garden loss will end with some snippy chant about Melo. Not to mention he's got a home in LA so its not like a big move. I dont think its even up for debate at this point. The only question is how bad the trade will be for the Knicks.

knicks1248 wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Melo is likely headed to LA. We are going to get back Rivers, and try to include a 3rd team to take Crawford and/or Redick. I think the holdup is them fighting over the inclusion of Redick, who can definitely get the Knicks back a 1st round pick from a contender, but leaves the Clippers extremely bare at SG. If we land Rivers, Brice Johnson, 2021 draft pick, and another 1st round pick via 3rd team, we have to take it at this point and just move on.

THINK again

The more Phil Jackson pushes, the firmer Carmelo Anthony plants his foot.

The Knicks president’s passive-aggressive attack on the franchise’s best player is backfiring, according to a Yahoo Sports report, which quotes league sources saying Anthony’s determination to remain with the Knicks is hardening.

“[Jackson’s] underestimating Melo’s willingness to stay,” a source familiar with Anthony’s thinking said.

According to the report, if Jackson had simply met with Anthony and explained it would be best for the franchise to deal him, Anthony, who holds a no-trade clause, may have been more amenable to a trade. However, Jackson has used back channels to try to off the forward signed for the next two and a half seasons.

Jackson is a idiot that has no savvyness

This is BS. Melo knows what time it is. He's not leading the team to wins and he knows KP is the future and needs to be built around. Melo needs to accept the truth and move on to a better situation. The more the team loses the worse it's gonna get for him. The media is making trouble as usual trying to get the fans to call for Phil to be fired, but really that's just stupid. Those fans that chant "Fire Phil" are simply following. They haven't been paying enough attention to know he's got 3 picks and could add more young talent to rebuild for the future.

You and the fans that want to hitch your wagons to Melo need to wake up. He's not gonna lead this team to a Title so why are you riding his coattails at this point?

fishmike wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Melo is likely headed to LA. We are going to get back Rivers, and try to include a 3rd team to take Crawford and/or Redick. I think the holdup is them fighting over the inclusion of Redick, who can definitely get the Knicks back a 1st round pick from a contender, but leaves the Clippers extremely bare at SG. If we land Rivers, Brice Johnson, 2021 draft pick, and another 1st round pick via 3rd team, we have to take it at this point and just move on.

Holiday isnt as good as Redick, but could smooth that roster out for them if they trade for Melo. We could include him for perhaps a protected future #1 or some #2s etc.

If he makes the deal better and we get a little extra something back that is fine. I like Holiday a lot but he's also a FA. He's been good for us and overall has been a pleasant surprise in my opinion, but we can move on without him if needed.

I agree... this has Melo to LA written all over it.

so you can see the clippers beating the GSW or even the SPURS without a solid SG, and a aging melo..they will left with felton as the loan back up guard...

melo is not going anywhere or it would have been done already.

Im betting phil goes before melo, then melo will waive is NTC

knicks1248 wrote:

fishmike wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Melo is likely headed to LA. We are going to get back Rivers, and try to include a 3rd team to take Crawford and/or Redick. I think the holdup is them fighting over the inclusion of Redick, who can definitely get the Knicks back a 1st round pick from a contender, but leaves the Clippers extremely bare at SG. If we land Rivers, Brice Johnson, 2021 draft pick, and another 1st round pick via 3rd team, we have to take it at this point and just move on.

Holiday isnt as good as Redick, but could smooth that roster out for them if they trade for Melo. We could include him for perhaps a protected future #1 or some #2s etc.

If he makes the deal better and we get a little extra something back that is fine. I like Holiday a lot but he's also a FA. He's been good for us and overall has been a pleasant surprise in my opinion, but we can move on without him if needed.

I agree... this has Melo to LA written all over it.

so you can see the clippers beating the GSW or even the SPURS without a solid SG, and a aging melo..they will left with felton as the loan back up guard...

melo is not going anywhere or it would have been done already.

Im betting phil goes before melo, then melo will waive is NTC

The highlighted isn't true. Things were always more likely to happen the closer we get to the deadline. Teams get more motivated to get a deal done.