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Dolan was answering a question from the hosts about the Knicks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He said he wasn’t aware of any trade talks between the Knicks and Bucks in the offseason. Later in the interview, he reiterated that he didn’t see the Knicks making any big changes before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. “That’s what I think our plan is, yes … I talk to Leon every day and look, nothing is impossible; I won’t rule anything out, but who do you want to lose (in a trade)?” Dolan said. “You don’t get something without giving something. Who do you want to lose?”
Leon Rose, the camera-shy team president, isn’t leaving the team any time soon, according to James Dolan. “As far as I know, Leon is with us long term,” Dolan said Monday in a WFAN interview with host Craig Carton. “We don’t talk about the end to this. We have a five-year plan. Right now we’re more like on a two- to three-year plan.” Rose, the former agent, signed as team president just before the pandemic in 2020. The team has been successful under his watch, qualifying for the playoffs in four of his five full seasons — including the franchise’s first run to the conference finals since 2000. Rose’s contract status is unknown, but it was believed he originally signed a five-year deal.
Kris Pursiainen: James Dolan says there’s no truth to any rumors regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, as far as he’s aware. “I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic … Leon can always overrule me, but I don’t see us making a big change. We’ve got to build up this group…can win a championship”
Before every game, Mike Brown shares his rotation chart with Knicks executive Leon Rose, so he knows what to expect while watching and conversations can be had after games if anyone thinks there should be a tweak. In timeouts, after meeting with his coaches, Brown sometimes hands the clipboard to his assistants like Chris Jent and Brendan O’Connor to diagram something for the team, while Brown stands behind them staring and analyzing like one of his players.
“I had this meeting with Dolan, I said, ‘I don’t want Carmelo back on the team; we’ve got to find a way to trade him,’ ” Jackson said in the book. “I said, ‘Let’s sit with [Anthony’s agent] Leon Rose and explain we’re not going to win a championship. Carmelo wants a championship; he wants to be on a team that has a chance, and he should be; he’s a Hall of Famer.’ ” Jackson also detailed a conversation with former Nuggets coach George Karl, who said Anthony, a star for Denver until being traded to the Knicks in 2011, rejected a defensive plan for selfish reasons in the 2009 Western Conference finals against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
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New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown utilized an 11-player rotation in the team's 119-111 season-opening victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The approach marks a departure from former coach Tom Thibodeau's methodology, as the Knicks held comfortable leads throughout the game against a top Eastern Conference contender. Brown replaced Thibodeau, who faced criticism for limited rotation experimentation and minimal player usage. The new coach credited team president Leon Rose and the front office for assembling a deep roster. “I truly believe this is a deep team,” Brown said. “Give Leon Rose and his group a lot of credit. It’s my job to keep trying to find combinations out on the floor that work. Just like they’ve got a lot of room to grow, I’ve got a lot of room to grow, too. I’m still learning."
Shams Charania: Leon Rose, the Knicks’ president, called Jon Horst, the Bucks’ general manager. These sides had multiple conversations. Offers were made. But here’s where it split: the Bucks, I’m told, believe the Knicks didn’t even offer a deal strong enough to keep the conversation going. Meanwhile, the Knicks believe the Bucks never seriously considered trading Giannis at all this summer.
That realization didn’t dull the pain when the trade finally went down. Two days before the deal, Randle appeared at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new school in the Bronx. Knicks leadership, including team president Leon Rose and head coach Tom Thibodeau, came to watch Randle donate $1.3 million toward the project. Then, in a flash, he was gone. “When I got traded, I’m like damn, I can’t believe this got taken from me,” Randle said. “It’s like, you worked so hard to build something, and it was just snatched away.” It was late September, and Kendra was pregnant. Kyden was in school and had a strong group of friends that he did not want to leave.
League sources told The Athletic that while Staley impressed during her conversation with team president Leon Rose and other members of the Knicks’ front office, she was not considered a finalist to fill the vacancy left when the team fired head coach Tom Thibodeau following the franchise’s first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years.
It is my understanding that Leon Rose and company have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation in Milwaukee very closely, even before the offseason started. Many around the league believe the Knicks are interested in star hunting, and while that opportunity hasn’t popped up yet, I certainly believe it’s in the cards if the right situation presents itself.
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As for the Mikal Bridges extension, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that New York waited this long into the summer to get it done. The Giannis situation has lingered (and is continuing to somewhat linger), but people I’ve talked to are fairly confident Antetokounmpo will start next season with Milwaukee. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Knicks signed Bridges to an extension before Aug. 6.
Ian Begley: NYK president Leon Rose on Mikal Bridges as Knicks announce extension: "Mikal is a unique talent who possesses a skillset & durability that very few players in this league have & his abilities on both sides of the court in every game made him a vital part of our team's success.”
James Edwards III: Mikal Bridges is here again to watch the Knicks game, sitting near the front office. He's eligible for an extension this summer. Him being here and sitting next to Mike Brown, Leon Rose and Co. is a good sign that something will get done.