Phil Jackson needs a big shooting guard and is looking to pay his way into the first round of next weeks NBA Draft.
According to the New York Post, the Knicks are interested in buying their way into the opportunity to select former Tar Heels star and D-League phenom P.J. Hairston between picks 20-30.
When shooting guard P.J. Hairston agreed to work out for Knicks president Phil Jackson on June 5, it was the strongest indication they are setting their sights on more than just buying a second-rounder next Thursday night.
Hairston, the controversial former North Carolina standout who was expelled from school last December, is slated to go between the 20th and 30th picks. He has worked out for about a dozen teams, mostly clubs in the lottery.
“The interest level is very, very high,’’ Hairston’s agent, Juan Morrow, told The Post. “You never know what Phil Jackson has up his sleeve.’’
Jackson loves big guards and Hairston is that at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds.