The New York Knicks continue to revamp their front office under president Leon Rose.
As the New York Knicks conduct their search for a full-time head coach, they continue to add new talent to their front office with the hiring of 26-year-old scout Alex Kline, as first reported by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Kline has reportedly already started working for the Knicks under recently hired head of college scouting Walt Perrin. Before arriving in New York, Kline spent the past four years working as a scout in the Pelicans organization. According to Ian Begley of SNY, he is well regarded by team personnel across the NBA.
The young scout made Forbes 30 under 30 sports list when he was only 19 years old. As a high schooler he started a website called Recruit Scoop which chronicled college scouting across the country. He built a strong reputation reporting on basketball recruits before making the jump to the NBA.
As a teenager, Kline started the Mary Kline Classic, an all-star game to showcase top high school talent, in honor of his late mother who passed away from brain cancer when he was only ten years old. The event, sponsored by Nike, Skullcandy Headphones and BodyArmor Super Drink, raised tens of thousands of dollars for the National Brain Tumor Society and Thomas Jefferson University University Hospital where his mother was treated.
The hiring of Alex Kline is another step in the right direction for the New York Knicks.
It is refreshing to see recently-appointed Knicks president Leon Rose bringing in fresh talent with high regard across the NBA. Some fans were concerned when Rose exercised incumbent general manager Scott Perry’s option for the 2019-20 season.
Why not start fresh and try to attract a top-level GM?
There are probably multiple reasons why Rose decided to retain Perry, but what has become clear since that decision, is that he is going to surround the incumbent with fresh voices who have achieved success around the NBA.
Eight years ago, Alex Kline was endeavoring to land both Derrick Jones and Georges Niang to play in the Mary Kline Classic.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 12, 2020
Today, he's a member of the Knicks' front office.
America! https://t.co/bOiYk9JLm1
The Knicks hired Jazz executive Walt Perrin, who is most recently known for playing a key role in the selection of Donovan Mitchell in the 2017 NBA Draft. They also added former Thunder scout Frank Zanin and cap specialist Brock Aller. Aall come with impressive resumes and respect from people outside of the Knicks organization.
New York Knicks: 5 reasons to be excited about Walt Perrin
Usually the hiring of an assistant GM is met with a golf clap, but New York Knicks fans should be excited about Walt Perrin joining the front office.
New York’s offseason began prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic. While 22 teams prepare to resume the season, the Knicks will stay at home and focus on building a competitive front office and roster that will one day compete in the playoffs again. It appears they are off to a good start.