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It appears the Knicks have a kink for executives with monosyllabic first names ending in “t” and last names starting with “Perr.”
Sources: The Knicks are finalizing hiring Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin as assistant general manager as they reshuffle front office under Leon Rose. Perrin is a well-respected executive who has worked in Jazz organization for 19 years.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 18, 2020
Not gonna pretend I’ve ever heard of Perrin. But others have, and the grapevine is a storm abuzz with warm and fuzzies.
Wow. Perrin is a road warrior, a fixture at every event with any even remotely relevant prospect. Good get for a Knicks team that needs to be scouring the land for young talent. https://t.co/Y4PGnIBvYd
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 18, 2020
Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell would not be with the Utah Jazz without the work of Walt Perrin. 240 characters aren’t enough to describe how important he has been to the Jazz. I’m selfishly sad he’s leaving us but he’s earned this opportunity. https://t.co/BXHPzlzwDI
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) May 18, 2020
Walt Perrin was the Pistons' director of college scouting when Scott Perry joined Detroit's front office in 2000. So there was some overlap there. Perrin left in 2001 for the Jazz.
— Chris Iseman (@ChrisIseman) May 18, 2020
Suffice it to say no one has ever accused Perrin of sleeping through a prospect’s workout.
"Phil Jackson was falling in and out of sleep during my workout." pic.twitter.com/ZRa3QoclvX
— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) June 22, 2017
Leon Rose continues to make his first footprints in the snow at Madison Square Garden. This move could raise questions and eyebrows moving forward. Does Perrin’s hiring up the Fahrenheit under Scott Perry’s heinie any? Is Allan Houston’s path to the big desk now blocked? Does Perrin’s history with the Jazz make the Knicks any more likely to pursue a trade for Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert, two of the more bandied-about quarantine-era rumors? Who knows?
What we do know is that this hire, in addition to New York adding Brock Aller from Cleveland, means consecutive acquisitions of highly regarded personnel people from around the league. It’s okay to feel good about that. Go on. Treat yourself.
Wanna know more about Perrin? Check out this interview he did with Ben Anderson, who covers the Jazz for KSL in Utah. Also, SLC Dunk is on the story.
During his time as VP of Player Personnel, Utah drafted Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell.
— SLC Dunk (@slcdunk) May 18, 2020
Utah found sleepers like Joe Ingles, Wes Matthews, and Royce O’Neale. https://t.co/CZ40LiQvcI
Also, though, it’s 2020, and Google exists, as does NBA Twitter. So I’m sure we’ll all learn a lot about him in the next few weeks.