The New York Knicks are hopeful that Carmelo Anthony will be healthy for the start of the 2015-16 season.
Team president Phil Jackson told reporters in Los Angeles that Anthony is at the practice facility getting treatment on his surgically-repaired knee and is feeling “positive” about the surgery. Jackson expects Anthony to begin workouts in June.
Anthony underwent season-ending surgery to repair a tendon issue -- and possibly other knee damage -- shortly after the All-Star game.
His timetable for return is 4-6 months.
“We hope at some point in June he’s able to start really training again ... so that he's really ready for the year,” Jackson told reporters in Los Angeles. “I think he’s positive about it. We hope the rehab goes great. He’s a guy we want to get back to something like he was a few years ago. This season he played on one leg it seemed like to me from the start it looked like he was favoring that.”
Zen sense of humor: Jackson had a funny line when asked about any joy he’s taken out of the job this season.
“It’s not something I really wanted to do. It’s something that my partner said, ‘You’re sitting on all this information, come on out and destroy a basketball team that you love,’” Jackson said.
Not sure how that joke will play with owner James Dolan, who is paying Jackson $60 million to run his team.
Familiar faces: Jackson said several players on this season’s team who are not under contract this season will be back next season.
“We’re going to ask them to come back and they're going to fill out a good part of our roster. We can’t bring in eight guys and expect them to play together, that’s not a part of our plan,” Jackson said. “We have guys that are going to be really good team members that are participating on this team right now. That part of it is important for us. It also says something about how we’re going to play.”
Anthony, Jose Calderon, Cleanthony Early and Tim Hardaway Jr. are under contract for next season. Langston Galloway has a partially guaranteed deal.
All other players on the roster will be free agents this summer.
ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne contributed to this report.