The New York Knicks finally cut ties with team President Steve Mills on Tuesday afternoon, much to the delight of the disgruntled fan base. Now, the question becomes who will take over and lead the Knicks to the promised land?
For the time being, Knicks general manager Scott Perry will take over as President, but a permanent replacement will need to be hired in the near future. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, Knicks owner James Dolan is reportedly considering "hiring a top basketball executive out of the player agent ranks," similar to the way the Warriors brought in Bob Myers, and the Lakers with Rob Pelinka.
With that in mind one name that has surfaced as a potential candidate for Knicks President is Rich Kleiman, the de facto manager of Brooklyn Nets superstar, Kevin Durant.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Kleiman has long desired to run the Knicks, a team that he grew up watching in New York. Berman also claims that sources have told him Kleiman would hire former Knick and fellow New York native, Mark Jackson, to be the team's head coach.
It has also been reported that the Knicks' preferred replacement is Toronto Raptors' President Masai Ujiri. However, Ujiri is still under contract until 2021, and Adrian Wojnarowski believes the "process for a successor is likely moving faster than the time needed to wait on an Ujiri courtship."
New York Knicks Finally Fire President Steve Mills: Fans Rejoice
Knicks said to be targeting Toronto's Masai Ujiri.
New York Knicks fans have something to smile about today, and it has nothing to do with the team's red hot two-game winning streak.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and others, the Knicks have finally fired President Steve Mills. What's more, Woj notes that New York is targeting Toronto Raptors' President Masai Ujiri to oversee the franchise moving forward. In the meantime, Knicks general manage Scott Perry will take over basketball operations.
Mills previously served as the Knicks' general manager from 2013-17 before somehow being promoted to president. Since taking over as president of the Knicks in 2017, the team has won a grand total of 61 games. Mills is responsible for the current construction of the roster and if there's anybody who has worn out his welcome it's him.
The Knicks' preferred replacement, Masai Ujiri, still has another year left on his contract with the Raptors, but SNY's Ian Begley reports that Ujiri has previously stated that he'd consider joining the Knicks under the right circumstances. New York could also look to use some of their future draft picks in a trade for Ujiri prior to the 2020 Draft, although Wojnarowski believes the "process for a successor is likely moving faster than the time needed to wait on an Ujiri courtship."
Of course, there is still the glaring issue of owner James Dolan - but for now, at least, Knicks fans are rejoicing that Mills has finally been let go.
Check out some of the reactions to today's news below.
