Phil Jackson said Carmelo Anthony took less than the maximum $129 million contract, and the Zen Master declared he needs his star player to maximize his teammates to win a championship.
Anthony took less to stay with the Knicks — estimated at $122 million to $123 million over five years.
Jackson confirmed The Post’s reports Anthony structured the deal to give the Knicks more cap space in 2015. It is believed he didn’t take his annual 7.5 percent raise in Year 2 and may have taken a tiny pay decrease.