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New York Knicks General Manager Scott Perry has methodically helped reconstruct the Knicks. The Kristaps Porzingis trade was known to be a disastrous move when it happened. The Knicks received Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two first round picks. The Knicks gave up Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke. Julius Randle was signed with the cap space the Knicks opened up in the Porzingis trade. Sharpshooter Immanuel Quickley was drafted with the 25th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which the Knicks acquired after trading the 27th pick, which they got from the Los Angeles Clippers last year in exchange for Marcus Morris, who they signed in the summer of 2019, also due to the extra cap space available following the Kristaps Porzingis trade. The Kristaps Porzingis trade still has the potential to reward the Knicks in years to come. The Knicks own the Dallas Mavericks 2021 first-round pick and a top-10 protected 2023 first-rounder. Those two future first round picks can definitely be counted towards the optimistic future of the New York Knicks organization. An excessive amount of picks, combined with a young core and cap space points to a possibility of turning those assets into a young star.

Scott Perry & Steve Mills Front Office Partnership Was Doomed From the Beginning.

The Executive Vice President and General Manager role belonged to Steve Mills in 2013. Mills was then appointed to interim General Manager after the firing of Phil Jackson in 2017. Scott Perry was hired to become the general manager of the Knicks in the early summer of 2017. As compensation for the movement, the Knicks gave the Sacramento Kings a 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations in exchange for Perry. Scott Perry eventually took over basketball operations duties once Steve Mills got fired after rumors of him attempting to trade Julius Randle and a first-rounder to the Hornets for Terry Rozier surfaced. Mills was fired during the NFL Super Bowl weekend February 2020. Rumors about Mills looking to extend Marcus Morris also surfaced. After the disastrous 2020 season ended for the Knicks, Perry traded Marcus Morris to the Clippers for a first round selection in the 2020 NBA draft as stated earlier in this article. It was clear there was a rift between Perry and Mills and one had to go. Dolan then made a decision which would positively alter the franchise. Dolan hired Leon Rose as president of the New York Knicks. Rose then brought in long time acquaintance, William Wesley also known as “World Wide Wes”. Rose and Perry have an alignment that never existed when Mills was in the front office. The desperate signings and distressed trades came to a halt and the direction of the franchise became crystal clear.

Credit: James Escher

Scott Perry had a few questionable moves as well, for instance, the hiring of David Fizdale and the first round selection of Kevin Knox in June of 2018. However, Perry also drafted shot blocking, rim running phenom, Mitchell Robinson with Chicago Bulls 2018 second-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a prior Carmelo Anthony trade that took place September 2017.

After being two years removed from the Kristaps Porzingis trade which took place in the beginning of 2019, the sentiment has changed regarding whether or not the Knicks lost to Mark Cuban in the Mavericks trade. It’s beginning to look as if Perry has been the unsung hero all along. Dolan and the Knicks hit jackpot with the Leon Rose hire as well. The Knicks are in the playoffs and so are the Dallas Mavericks, both possess similar win-loss records. Some think the Knicks already won the trade due to future first round assets the Knicks have possession over. Time will tell, however the New York Knicks future is looking extremely optimistic especially after clinching fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with home court advantage for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

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