Knicks, Kings reach agreement to send vice president Scott Perry for New York GM role, per report

The Knicks and the Kings have reached a deal to send Sacramento vice president Scott Perry to New York, where he will become the team’s new general manager, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick. The deal was first reported on Thursday by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Sacramento will receive a 2019 second round pick and cash considerations, Amick reports. What pick that will be is complicated — the Knicks owe their 2019 pick to Philadelphia, but they are set to receive the two worse picks from Cleveland, Houston and Orlando’s 2019 second round selections. Of those two — like Cleveland and Houston — the Kings will get the best one. In short, it’s likely to be a bottom-10 2019 selection.

The signing of Perry comes on the heels of discussions breaking down between the Knicks and former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin.

Griffin removed his name from consideration after having multiple conversations about the job with current general manager Steve Mills. Talks stalled after Griffin insisted on having full autonomy and decision-making power over his front office and staff.

Perry has only held his role in the Kings’ front office for a few months. He was hired in April to be the vice president of basketball operations.

He has previous front office executive experience with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Seattle Supersonics. He served as vice president of basketball operations for the Pistons from 2008 to 2012 before he moved on to serve a similar role with the Magic.

The hiring of Perry come a bit later than anticipated with marquee free agents being off the board and the NBA draft way in the rearview mirror. However, the future of Carmelo Anthony and rounding out the rest of the Knicks’ roster are still two priorities he would oversee.

According to reports from Knicks reporter Ian Begley, the team doesn’t envision Tim Hardaway, Jr., fresh of inking a four-year, $71 million deal in New York, and Anthony sharing the floor together next season.

Wojnarowski previously reported the Knicks were looking to move Anthony and were in preliminary discussions over a potential four-team deal that would move Anthony to the Rockets to play with Chris Paul and James Harden. However, it sounds like those deals are off, or at least paused, and that with Perry the team may meet with Anthony to try and convince him to return to the Knicks without any problems next season.