According to a published report by Pete Botte of the New York Daily News, former Phoenix Suns GM and current TNT broadcaster Steve Kerr met with Phil Jackson for dinner in Manhattan on Friday, making him officially in play for the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy.

Coincidentally, Kerr was in the Big Apple to call round 1 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference quarterfinals between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Kerr does think highly of the New York Knicks. The five-time NBA champion told The Source in November that he has a respect for the organization: “I think the Knicks are a good team, they proved that last year,” Kerr said.

“When they’re healthy, they’re going to win a lot of games and they should be a playoff team.”

Although he believes the Knicks are a decent team, Kerr didn’t think that the Knicks were on the same competitive level as some of the top tier Eastern Conference teams like the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers: “They’re a significant notch below the elite teams in the league,” he said.

The Knicks did not make the playoffs this year, fired their head coach Mike Woodson and named Phil Jackson—Kerr’s former coach during his playing days with the Chicago Bulls—as team President. As expected, the Knicks will try to resign Carmelo Anthony in the off season.

Kerr has publicly expressed interest in the Knicks’ head coaching job and all reports indicate that he is Phil Jackson’s leading candidate to replace Mike Woodson.