The long and slow process of hiring Leon Rose as team president will finally be complete for the New York Knicks on Sunday.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Leon Rose will officially take over as New York Knicks president of basketball operations on Sunday, March 1.
The news of Rose’s hire is nothing new, but the Knicks have yet to officially announce the move while the former agent ties up loose ends. Additionally, Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that Rose wanted to take part in Dwyane Wade’s jersey retirement ceremony before taking the Knicks’ reins.
The new era in Madison Square Garden will officially begin on Sunday. Rose is coming to New York to try and do something no one has been able to do in years: mold the Knicks into a sustainable contender.
The former CAA super-agent brings a jam-packed Rolodex with him to his new gig. Over a long and successful career as an agent, Rose has developed plenty of connections around the league.
Former team president Steve Mills was reassigned to a new role on Feb. 4. General manager Scott Perry took over personnel decisions and executed the Marcus Morris Sr. trade that brought back two draft picks.
Although the Knicks are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, Rose is coming into a decent situation, all things considered. He has a treasure chest of first- and second-round draft picks to work with, a flexible cap situation, and a roster with young talents like RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson.
It won’t be easy for Rose to turn around a franchise that has been inept for the past 20 years, but it’s his turn to give it the old college try.
