Are Knicks making yet another big mistake with Scott Perry move?

If you’re a Knicks fan (and sorry about that), you were probably pretty thrilled with how the season went. While the ending was disappointing, the team vastly exceeded expectations, and it’s nice that MSG was buzzing again well into May.

Despite missing the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, over the last few years, the Knicks have actually performed like a real, professional team and not the dog and pony show they looked like for the majority of this century. So, what’s been different lately? The thing that may be the most important aspect of a successful organization: stability.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that stable teams — ones that retain their key personnel from year to year — have the most long-term success. And clearly the people running the Knicks are far from rocket scientists (even though the guy in charge does resemble another billionaire who likes playing with rockets). After a promising season and hope for the future, what do they do? They decide not to extend the contract of their GM.

While Scott Perry may be blamed for not landing a superstar, he made several good moves during his tenure, including drafting RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson and getting Josh Hart before last year’s trade deadline. And, of course, he signed Jalen Brunson, who now seems to be worth every penny of that contract many critics at the time thought was exorbitant.

Where do the Knicks go from here?

If you’re a Knicks fan (and, again, sorry), you are probably expecting the sky to start falling after what seems like yet another in an eternity of misguided, perplexing or just flat-out dumb moves by the team. But, let’s take a look at two possible outcomes, starting with the positive.

Best-case scenario

The Knicks still have Tom Thibodeau who, even after just three seasons, is their longest-tenured head coach in a decade. Players love him and buy into his system, and that’s important. There’s speculation that former Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas — senior basketball adviser for the Knicks right now — might be promoted to GM. If this happens, that aforementioned stability may remain mostly intact, which could mean that the team stays on its current path.

Worst-case scenario

This being the Knicks, there’s always the strong possibility that the GM situation turns into a debacle. Even if they don’t bring back Isiah Thomas or Phil Jackson (but would you really be surprised if they did?), the wrong person could derail everything. Excluding the upcoming draft, the Knicks have nearly a dozen first-round picks over the next seven years. If handled correctly, this could net them many good young players or a star or two.

Or, a couple of years from now, the new GM could decide to trade all remaining picks and half the team for a 40-year-old LeBron, Bronny and whatever other James kids are available.    

What would you put your money on?