Report: Veteran names emerge in Knicks coaching search, despite reported desire for youth

While Phil Jackson reportedly wants to find a young coach familiar with his coaching principles, presumably so that he could groom him, multiple reports surfaced on Friday that the New York Knicks are also considering veteran options and "non-Triangle" candidates.

First, the New York Post reported that the Knicks are open to the idea of hiring recently unemployed Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson. Jackson (Mark, not Phil) lacks in the X's and O's department but has a reputation as a strong player's coach. As Eye on Basketball points out, the Jacksons together would be complementary.

Also from the New York Post comes the report that Jackson also had a "two-hour breakfast" with Mike Dunleavy recently, which is far more difficult to explain than the Mark Jackson interest.

From the report:

According to an eyewitness, Jackson met with grizzled veteran coach Mike Dunleavy for two hours Friday morning over breakfast at a downtown Chicago hotel. Jackson is in Chicago for the pre-draft combine.

An NBA source confirmed the breakfast meeting and said the Brooklyn-born Dunleavy actually has used elements of the triangle during his NBA coaching stints.

It's worth pointing out that Jackson and Dunleavy reportedly have an existing friendship, so there may be no fire to accompany this smoke. If it is true, however, it's odd - not only is Dunleavy 60 years old, he has a .461 career winning percentage and managed just one winning season in his last stop, a seven-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers.

As outlined in the post below, there is no shortage of candidates. If Jackson does want to go younger or with someone he's worked with in the past, a few interesting names present themselves. Among them: Luke Walton (yes!), Tyronn Lue, Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons, Bill Cartwright, Frank Hamblen, Fred Hoiberg and more.

It's going to be difficult to make heads or tails of the rumors for a little while, it seems.