Making no qualms about who holds the keys to the future of their franchise, the Knicks will reportedly sign Scott Perry to a five-year contract to become the team’s next General Manager. Sam Amick also reported the following regarding compensation.
Kings and Knicks have reached an agreement on Scott Perry's NY GM deal, I'm told. Kings get a 2019 2nd round pick & cash considerations.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 14, 2017
Perry and his former team, the Sacramento Kings, released the following statements about the move:
There’s a lot to digest here. Inking their last executive (Phil Jackson) to a five-year deal clearly didn’t work out. That’s a steep commitment and respective investment. It also suggests that New York will be patient in allowing Perry to execute his vision for the team. Luckily for the Knicks, they already have some major building blocks in Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, and Frank Ntilikina. Perry has a head start on things, as Jackson’s poor tenure did leave the team with some very promising pieces, nonetheless. That should suggest, however, that this transition period should not take as long as Jackson’s own rebuilding efforts. The fan base has waited long enough, but Perry appears to be the kind of executive who can put steady plans into action. After all, the Kings have had one hell of an offseason thus far.
Sacramento only opted to spend big on proven veterans and bonafide locker room leaders. They made smart choices and executed moves to help them add inexpensive youngsters through the draft. It’d be interesting to hear what Perry thinks about New York’s decision to sign Tim Hardaway Jr. to a lucrative contract this summer. It’s hard to say if he would have done something similar, because the Kings went upon making improvements in a very different way.
Now that Hardaway Jr. is secured, there’s no use crying over spilled milk. The Knicks will make good use of him as an assertive offensive weapon and hope that his opportunity for defensive improvement will only add to their ability to justify the means for such a contract. As far as Perry is concerned, his first priority should be figuring out what is to be done with Carmelo Anthony. If (Phil) Jackson was right about one thing, it’s that the Knicks haven’t succeeded with Anthony and any opportunity to do so is narrowing quickly due to his age and arguable decline. He just didn’t handle it in the right manner.
At this point, it’s best to move on. Perry has the ability to find meaningful assets for Anthony. It’d be smart to meet with him and express a strong commitment to finding a mutual solution. This could lead to Anthony potentially broadening his horizons and remaining open to alternative trade possibilities besides the Rockets and Clippers.
Something else interesting to make note of: Perry’s five-year contract will seemingly outlast that of Jeff Hornacek’s, whose deal extends for two more seasons. His deal aligned perfectly with Jackson’s, tying both of their Knickerbocker futures (or what was expected) together. There’s a good chance that Perry and Hornacek will work well together, however. The two (along with many of Hornacek’s assistants excluding Kurt Rambis) are represented by the same agency.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
