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Less than two weeks after firing their head coach, the New York Knicks have made a front office change. The Knicks announced they’ve hired former Cavaliers coach David Blatt as a basketball operations consultant.
So far, adding Blatt to their front office has not led to the exit of team president Steve Mills or general manager Scott Perry, but both have been rumored to be on the hot seat.
"David Blatt is a great basketball mind and we look forward to adding him to the organization," Mills and general manager Scott Perry said in a statement. "He will be a great asset to our front office, G League team and international scouting."
Mills and Blatt have a previous relationship, having been teammates at Princeton four decades ago. It still appears like an unsettled situation as bringing in new front office help doesn't seem to be a vote of confidence for the current team president and general manager.
USA TODAY Images Blatt most recently coached the Greek team Olympiakos, resigning in October after announcing he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In taking a front office position with the Knicks, the 60-year old Blatt stated he’s retiring from coaching after 26 professional seasons.
“I look forward to the next step in my career as I officially retire from coaching and pursue other opportunities in basketball,” Blatt said in the press release. “I’ve long been intrigues by working in a front office and thank Steve and Scott for the opportunity to be a resource to the basketball operations staff.”
Blatt coached the Cavaliers for 123 games from 2014-2016. He led the team to a 53-29 record and the NBA Finals during his first season, which coincided with LeBron James’ return to Cleveland.
Blatt was fired during his second season despite getting off to a 30-11 start, the best record in the Eastern Conference at the time.
The Knicks interviewed Blatt for their head coaching vacancy in 2018, when they ultimately chose David Fizdale, who was fired earlier this month.