Knicks: 3 under-the-radar front office hires who will change the culture

Walt Perrin – Assistant GM of College Scouting

Walt Perrin is a 20+ year NBA veteran scout, who comes to New York after a 12-year stint with the Utah Jazz. Walt hangs his hat on his keen ability to spot mid-to-late round talent, which he accomplishes by going above and beyond, while doing his due diligence.

The two players he’s received a ton of praise for recently are Rudy Gobert (27th overall pick) and Donovan Mitchell (13th overall pick). Perrin brings the small market mentality to the Mecca from the scouting perspective because, as we are all well aware, places like Utah are not exactly atop the list of primary free agency destinations for the NBA’s elite.

Being in Utah for as long as he’s been forced Walt to be that much more thorough during the draft process by putting an emphasis on things like how the athletes fit the culture of the organization and what these guys like to do in their off time away from basketball.

Similar to Alex Kline, Perrin is recognized throughout the league as a consummate professional and absolute workhorse — first one in the building, last one out.

Considering the last two decades worth of success Utah has had, more often than not they’re picking later on in drafts, so to help compensate for that he’s had to do plenty of traveling for work. Whether it’s overseas or to smaller college programs, Perrin has made sure that Utah would get the best bang for its buck even when picking in the late 1st and 2nd rounds, with his more hands-on approach to evaluation.

From 2021 until 2026, the Knicks have 8 upcoming 1st round picks and a whopping 13 2nd rounders. With this overabundance of selections coming up over the next six seasons, I’d imagine Mr. Perrin is itching to get to work. I wouldn’t be surprised if his fingerprints were all over this team for the next 10-15 years.