ORLANDO, Fla. _ Jeff Hornacek said he texted Carmelo Anthony after Phil Jackson's presidency ended on Wednesday. But Hornacek paused a few seconds when he was asked if he wanted Anthony on the roster next season, and he never said yes.
"Carmelo's a great player," Hornacek said Thursday. "The guy can really score the ball. So that's management decisions and us coaches, we coach who they give us."
Jackson's departure doesn't mean the Knicks won't still try to move Anthony, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. His future as a Knick remains a major question heading into the busy part of the offseason.
Free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and the Knicks' plans have changed now that Jackson is no longer calling the shots. The change is the kind of players they will pursue.
Last season, Hornacek said the Knicks would be looking for players that fit the system, which was the triangle offense. That's not the case anymore, Hornacek said after summer league practice Thursday. Hornacek said he spoke to Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan and general manager Steve Mills and they're "all on the same page."
"I don't think you necessarily need to look at, 'Does a guy fit this system or that system?' " Hornacek said. "It's, 'Can this guy play ball? Can we mold him into what we want to do?' "
It's certainly a change in philosophy from the last three years when Jackson continually went after players to fit his system rather than play one that fits the personnel. Hornacek made it sound as if the Knicks are going the more conventional and popular route now.
"We're always trying to figure out what's best for our players," Hornacek said. "We don't even know what the roster is going to end up looking like. We have some ideas. But all of that will come together later in the summer."
Hornacek said he isn't totally abandoning the triangle. He said most teams, including the Warriors and Spurs, use triangle aspects or options. But he plans to blend in more pick-and-rolls, play more up-tempo, and try to space the floor more.
That's what worked for Hornacek when he coached in Phoenix. The Suns played small, fast, ran pick-and-rolls and shot a high volume of 3-pointers.
"We're going to work on different things and add things, find an offense that fits," Hornacek said. "We're going to do a lot of things from last year, some new things and we'll blend it. Maybe it gives us some more space."
Last season, Hornacek tried to "blend" offenses, but by February Jackson made him go all-in on the triangle. Jackson even gave a triangle clinic to the guards.
Hornacek said he didn't feel confined running a system he's never played in or coached. Yet he did say he believed free agents would look at the Knicks differently since they're not going to be sold on playing the triangle.
"I would think so," Hornacek said. "Golden State, San Antonio had portions of it. Every team. When you look at the triangle and you look at what it could do there's a lot of options and there's a lot you can do. You can take pieces of it. You can spread it out. You can do all kinds of things. I don't think that should be an issue."
As of now, the Knicks could have around $16 million to spend in free agency if they were to waive players with partially guaranteed deals (Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee) and renounce Derrick Rose's rights.
Ndour and Plumlee are on the Knicks' summer league team and Ndour's salary becomes fully guaranteed Friday. The Knicks also have interest in bringing back Rose. He's close to Mills, and he's one of the better pick-and-roll guards in the league. Rose also has an interest in returning.
"We're in constant communication with the Knicks and other teams as well, so we're going to see" Rose's agent, B.J. Armstrong, said. "There's been a change and they have a lot going on right now. All we can do is talk and we'll be speaking to them at the appropriate time and waiting to hear the direction they're going to take and what they're going to do moving forward."
Point guards the Knicks could target include Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry, but they're likely out of the Knicks' price range. More inexpensive options are Jeff Teague, George Hill, Darren Collison and Michael Carter-Williams. The Knicks also need to improve defensively on the wing, so P.J. Tucker, who played for Hornacek in Phoenix, and Oklahoma City restricted free agent Andre Roberson are options.
The Knicks also would like to re-sign restricted free agents Ron Baker and Justin Holiday. Baker attended the Knicks' summer league practice Thursday and was sitting with Mills. Baker left before speaking with the media.
