Leon

Rose

The Heat, Bucks, and Bulls all forfeited second-round picks in this year’s NBA draft because they were found guilty of tampering with free agents. Everyone seems to assume that because of this, the Knicks would have the same fate, but according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, this isn’t the case. “That’s just what they decided in those moments and if they find evidence of tampering that they believe to be particularly egregious, they are down to go with a harsher penalty.” This is not saying that the Knicks committed an egregious violation, and there would have to be strict evidence to prove it, but if there is, there is no penalty that is set in stone.

This is the second tampering investigation that the league has launched, after the Sixers got hit with one for their acquisition of P.J. Tucker on the first day of free agency. Both of these deals were rumored to be done before the start of free agency, which has triggered the investigation by the league. If they are found to have violated the league’s tampering policy, they could have to forfeit a second-round draft pick in a future draft. We will have more updates as they become available.

Knicks president Leon Rose is casting a wide net in the coach search, with 8-10 candidates expected to interview. This doesn’t bode well for interim coach Mike Miller, who is still technically in the running, and it will be interesting to see if Tom Thibodeau remains the putative ‘front-runner’ once other coaches make their case. Becky Hammon, Mike Woodson, Ime Udoka, Kenny Atkinson, Will Hardy and Pat Delany are all reportedly in the running for the job.

The search “will likely stretch into [July],” but is expected to conclude prior to games being played in Orlando on July 30. Current interim head coach Mike Miller is on the list of candidates, along with Kenny Atkinson, Mike Woodson, Spurs assistant Will Hardy and presumptive favorite Tom Thibodeau. There was also a report from Newsday that Spurs assistant Becky Hammon could gain some traction in the Knicks’ search.

Delany has been an assistant under Steve Clifford for five years after his time with the Heat. He was also a head coach in the G League, so maybe the Knicks are attracted to how he could help young players. With Ime Udoka’s name also emerging today, the Knicks may be ramping up on their coaching search.

The Knicks continue to reshape their front office and this comes on the heels of them hiring Walt Perrin to be an assistant general manager as well. Zanin is a longtime league executive with his most recent stops being in Brooklyn and Oklahoma City. According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Zanin will be in charge of pro personnel scouting and Perrin will handle college scouting.

Knicks president Leon Rose continues to put together his front office with an impressive hire. Perrin served as the Jazz VP of Player Personnel and could now be groomed as the GM of New York’s future -- current GM Scott Perry has one year left on his deal.

Per Begley, “this aligns with a directive that the Knicks were operating under prior to the 2020 trade deadline: Whatever happens, we need to maintain enough assets to be in position to trade for a star player. Even though he wasn’t officially in charge at the time, it’s fair to assume that [Leon] Rose was on board with that thinking.” It is also noteworthy that the Knicks reportedly would be willing to part with a future first-round pick in a deal for a star. Armed with plenty of cap space, the Knicks will be a team to keep an eye on his offseason.

The Knicks are taking the same path as the Warriors and Lakers did, by signing a renowned NBA player agent to take over the helm, and the two sides are expected to begin formal negotiations after the trade deadline.