NY Knicks: 4 reasons why Kenny Payne is an important hire

Why Kenny Payne is an important hire: Hiring the best and the brightest

There are two ways you can look at Leon Rose’s approach to hiring since taking over as president of the New York Knicks.

1. He is hiring all of his best buddies.
2. He is hiring the best and the brightest.

As with most things in life, the reality is somewhere between those two takes.

Playing in New York, the Knicks are often tied to the biggest names in the sport, and while Thibodeau qualifies as a namebrand hire, several of the additions to the Knicks staff are people whose reputations are bigger inside the game of basketball than known to fans.

Walt Perrin was hired as head of college scouting. The former Jazz executive is well-respected around the league and credited for identifying several of the key draft picks that have turned Utah into a top team.

Brock Aller was hired to provide cap expertise. Another name unfamiliar to most outside of the game, but credited with being integral in managing the Cavaliers cap situation with LeBron.

The Knicks also added young scouting guru Alex Kline.

And now Kenny Payne is the latest big name/no-name to join the Knicks staff. Sure, he has a strong relationship with William Wesley, and it’s easy to connect the dots for why he is now in New York, but if anything, that speaks more to the power of the Knicks new front office in having strong relationships with some of the game’s premier talent.

Leon Rose is assembling a staff of people who aren’t just headline-grabbers, but legitimately have respect within their profession in their abilities to excel at their jobs. That is more important than worrying about previous relationships to Rose from his time at CAA.

Working as the head honcho at the game’s most elite player agencies is going to create a lot of connections, which is part of the credentials needed in being a team president who has the ability to assemble a qualified staff.