Knicks president Leon Rose continues to hide from independent reporters (and accountability). But he has found time to do another softball interview with another one of James Dolan’s employees.
Rose will have a pre-taped sitdown interview with MSG’s Alan Hahn on the team-owned network Friday night. A preview was released earlier Friday where Hahn asks Rose about the Knicks’ failed pursuit of Donovan Mitchell. Rose mostly offers cliches and trumpets the moves the team did make — signing Jalen Brunson, extending RJ Barrett, re-signing Mitchell Robinson. But he did vaguely explain why Mitchell is in Cleveland now and not back home here.
“We went through that (Mitchell) process there and ultimately at the end of the day we made the decision to stay put,” Rose said. “And we’re thrilled with where we are. … We feel really good about the summer. By not making a move, we are flush with draft capital.”
“We're thrilled with where we are. We're thrilled with the team we have."
Knicks President Leon Rose on offseason moves.
The full interview will air tonight at 8 p.m. on MSG Networks. pic.twitter.com/4KAELSk2Oy
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 23, 2022
Rose’s refusal to speak with local reporters remains pathetic. And the NBA is really to blame for this nonsense. The Knicks are going to Knick whenever they get a chance to do so. But it is astonishing commissioner Adam Silver and the league office allow them to get away with this. It is also head-scratching how so many Knicks fans blindly defend the team’s anti-media approach. Because in the end they’re the ones getting screwed out of knowing as much as is possible about the direction and thinking of their team.
As for Rose’s comments on the Mitchell deal: There is a strong argument he made the right move and the Knicks were wise not to meet the Jazz’s immense asking price. But Rose certainly isn’t selling that with any conviction. Make a case! Because nervously saying you have a bunch of draft picks inspires no confidence.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch.
