Eleven-time NBA champion coach and current New York Knicks president Phil Jackson is already developing another stratagem for the team before the trade deadline on February 18 following the news that he has given the pink slip to coach Derek Fisher.

"We're looking to improve this ballclub, there's no doubt," Jackson said. "We know that we have some good guys. The chemistry is pretty good. The talent can still be better. It always can, so we're looking."

Like Us on Facebook

The 1996 NBA Coach of the Year said that the cub's star player Carmelo Anthony, who has a no-trade clause in his contract along with the Rookie of the Month for January awardee Kristaps Porzingis, are both off-limits.

The name of the 2006 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year came up in trade rumors earlier in the year, but the 70-year-old Jackson would rather keep Anthony, who was named the 2013 NBA scoring champion for both his basketball skills and court leadership.

"Carmelo is the leader," Jackson said. "We understand that. He's on board. He's going to move forward with this basketball club."

Anthony currently is averaging 21.4 points, 7.9 rebound, 4.2 assists in 34.8 minutes per game in the regular season.

According to The Score, Porzingis, the 2015 NBA draft 4^th overall pick, does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, but Jackson has highlighted that the promising Latvian 7-foot-3 rookie is seen by the club as a key component of their future.

Porzingis is averaging 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.9 shot blocks in 28.2 minutes per game in the ongoing NBA season. He is shooting 42.3 percent from the field and has an 84.6 percent shooting accuracy from the foul line.

Jackson, who is nearing his two-year anniversary at the helm of the team, said he remains committed to building the Knicks into a top contender.

TagsPhil Jackson, new york knicks, carmelo anthony, Kristaps Porziņģis