New York Knicks big man Julius Randle believes Leon Rose is the perfect guy to turn around the franchise.
Rose has gotten to know Randle from being in charge of CAA’s basketball operations for so many years. The Knicks officially hired the former NBA agent as their new president of basketball operations on Monday.
Article Continues Below“He’s a great human being to the core,’’ Julius Randle said, via The New York Post. “Great family man. I know him well, his son well. I established a relationship from being in CAA. No BS around him. He’s established great relationships with teams and players. He’s done very well for players. Who better to run the show than Leon?”
Knicks owner James Dolan began exploring the front-office model of hiring a player agent shortly after reassigning Steve Mills. The Golden State Warriors under Bob Myers and Los Angeles Lakers under Rob Pelinka have had success with the former agent model.
The Knicks’ roster is pretty flawed right now, so Rose’s main priority moving forward is to hire the right coach to lead the franchise if he decides not to give Mike Miller the full-time gig and get more talent. Rose reportedly will have Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau on his coaching search list.
The Knicks are hoping Leon Rose’s litany of connections in the NBA will help the team improve from top to bottom. The Knickerbockers have been a walking disaster for years. The 2012-13 season was the last time the Knicks had a winning record and made the playoffs.