From Steve Popper:
A day after adding Walt Perrin to serve as assistant general manager with a focus on college personnel, Knicks president Leon Rose will bring on former Nets assistant general manager Frank Zanin to pair with Perrin.
According to a league source, Zanin is finalizing a deal to serve as the Knicks assistant general manager/pro personnel. He joins Perrin and Brock Aller, who signed on earlier this month to serve as chief strategist, handling the salary cap
Zanin most recently served as a scout for the Thunder, a role he held the last four years. Prior to that, he served a variety of roles for the Nets, joining Billy King, who he had worked for with the 76ers, as a pro personnel scout and then earning promotions to director of player procurement and then assistant general manager.
He began his NBA career with the 76ers, serving as a scout for nine years in the city where he grew up – and played high school basketball where he developed a relationship with Kobe Bryant, who played for a rival school. Zanin got an endorsement for the Nets’ full-time GM job four years ago from Bryant, who tweeted, “Hope to see you in the GM seat for the @BrooklynNets @F1E2Z you have a great basketball mind and it’s time you get your shot #gogetit.”
Would I prefer the Knicks to be hiring some of the hot executives out there? Of course, but eh, at least so far Rose has been bringing in non-offensive guys, as well. It’s not like he’s bringing on Stephon Marbury as Assistant GM. These guys are all probably competent enough.
I also suspect that Rose will go for a big name next season,anyways, and these guys could just as easily serve that new big name.
Anyhow, just normal hires is a good day for the Knicks these days.
EDITED TO ADD: Stefan Bondy notes that Craig Robinson, Gerald Madkins and Harold Ellis will not be retained. Robinson was clearly way too close to Mills to stick around and I barely recall the other two guys, sadly.