- Sam Presti (Photo by Kurt Steiss, The Oklahoman)
The New York Knicks are now without a president of basketball operations but at least their top two NBA prospects are secure. Although their free agency hunt seems to have top priority over their need for a new front office member, the Knicks are aware of the necessity.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Sam Presti and Masai Ujiri appear to be the prime candidates for the job following parting ways with Phil Jackson.
Another name that has been mentioned internally as a candidate is Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti, sources told ESPN. The Knicks would likely need to offer compensation to OKC for Presti, who is currently under contract.
Many in the organization are fans of Raptors president Masai Ujiri. Their interest in Ujiri is real, according to sources, but the compensation that may (?) be needed to pry Ujiri out of his Raptors contract could be a holdup.
The Knicks know they are in the midst of a rebuild and have no appetite for parting with future first-round picks. It will be interesting to see where things go from here. If you talk to some people connected to Toronto, they believe a deal will eventually get done.
The Knicks are in no hurry but they appear to have some options available, hopefully they make the right choice.
