If the New York Knicks do end up showing team president Steve Mills the door, it seems that owner James Dolan has a potential replacement in his sights.
According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, Dolan is “indeed enamored” with Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in franchise history last season.
Beck adds that Ujiri may even have mutual interest, saying that the executive would be open to the challenge of rebuilding a team like the Knicks from scratch, something he didn't necessarily do in Toronto.
Apparently, “influential voices” in the NBA are advising Ujiri not to take the New York job, but if he is granted autonomy and if Dolan funds Giants of Africa, Ujiri might bite.
Of course, there are a lot of hoops that the Knicks would need to jump through for this to happen, as Ujiri is under contract with the Raptors through 2021. However, he reportedly turned down a long-term extension from the club, an indication that he doe want to keep his options open in case other opportunities surface.
New York fired head coach David Fizdale on Friday. On Saturday, it was reported that the Knicks will likely either fire or demote Mills, who has been in a position of power with the organization since 2013.
Since Mills took over, New York has been one of the worst teams in basketball, failing to make the playoffs in each of the last six years and logging a pair of 17-win campaigns.
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