Knicks Rushing to Hire More People With Zero Experience to Run Team is Classic Knicks
By Jerry Trotta
The New York Knicks, though most fans would say a few years too late, ultimately made the right move by parting ways with president Steve Mills, who joined the franchise as an executive back in 2003.
Because the Knicks evidently don't know how to plan, Mills' axing came the week of the NBA trade deadline, leaving general manager Scott Perry to conduct basketball operations solo. Maybe?
Meanwhile, owner James Dolan has been continuing his search for a new executive, and that quest might soon draw to a close. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, New York is nearing a deal with player agent Leon Rose that would make him the new head of basketball operations.
Knicks and player agent Leon Rose of CAA are nearing deal to make him new head of basketball ops., league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2020
They simply had to have this deal in place before the firing became official...right?
The Knicks were reported to be exploring hiring a heralded player agent as one of their new higher-ups after firing Mills. Given the success that Bob Myers has enjoyed with the Golden State Warriors (and Rob Pelinka with the Los Angeles Lakers) that prospect didn't seem too outlandish.
A household name like Rich Paul had been mentioned throughout the hiring process, but that was never considered a feasible partnership.
Knicks have begun finalizing plans to bring Rose and William Wesley into potential basketball ops. structure, sources say. https://t.co/YxO3xVtDnL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2020
Rose, on the other hand, has been one of the esteemed NBA agents for quite some time. During his reign, he's employed superstars that include, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Those are all perennial superstars, but the transition to inking stars to lucrative contracts and endorsements to being handed the keys of one of the NBA's most revered franchises is almost unspeakable. Rushing to hire someone with no experience while smack in the middle of a rebuild -- while having a slew of one-year contracts to sort out -- is brainless. And what does World Wide Was have to do with this? Who is there left to recruit who will really change the franchise?
Maybe it all works. Maybe they're competent. But why sprint into this instead of entertaining Sam Hinkie or Masai Ujiri?
What else would you expect from the Knicks?