The Knicks reportedly hiring Leon Rose seems smart, but there’s so much work to be done

Good move, Knicks.

It might come as a shock to hear it, but the New York Knicks reportedly hiring agent Leon Rose as their next president seems like the right hire.

After all, we’ve seen the agent-to-president-or-general-manager transition work out to some success around the league. Rob Pelinka is doing well as the Los Angeles Lakers’ general manager. We know how good Bob Myers has done with the Golden State Warriors. Plus, there are reports that William Wesley — better known as “World Wide Wes” — could be part of the organization, which could pair two power brokers with a franchise that could use them.

It has the chance to give the Knicks something they haven’t had in years: credibility and connections. Rose and Wesley can tell all the players who don’t want to come to New York and deal with what’s been decades of mess after mess that they’re putting a stop to it.

But repairing the Knicks’ reputation isn’t just as easy and flipping a switch to say, “We’re respectable now!”

It’s going to take time and work. It’s going to be about drafting the right players, making the kind of moves that build a future contender. Just look at the Miami Heat — Pat Riley lived a few years with some hefty contracts that hamstrung the franchise, then beautifully maneuvered his way out by making brilliant trades, signings and draft picks to move into contention. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks — a former member of the Nets’ brass — noted above, they’re going to have to make a hire at the general manager position who knows the ins and outs of how to run an NBA front office.

But the first step is a good one, as evidenced by all the stories and praise coming out about Rose and Wesley:

And also everyone’s tweeting about Rose being Karl-Anthony Towns’ agent …

But to me, it’s too early for that. All we know is this is finally a move that didn’t make everyone point and laugh and make memes. That’s the best news the Knicks could have asked for.

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