Knicks, GM Scott Perry Reportedly Agree to New Contract After NBA Playoff Run

The New York Knicks reportedly plan to sign general manager Scott Perry to a contract extension, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Perry was initially hired in 2017 and remained with the organization after Leon Rose replaced Steve Mills as team president. The two sides agreed to a one-year extension last April, but his deal was set to expire this offseason.

After the Knicks made their first playoff appearance since 2013, Perry was rewarded with a new deal.

It had been a long road back to relevance for the Knicks, which had a losing record in seven straight seasons. With a 21-45 record in 2019-20, they were one of just eight teams not invited to the NBA bubble during the restarted season.

The team turned things around in 2020-21, finishing 41-31 for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Perry had his fingerprints over much of the turnaround, with Charania noting he was instrumental in signing Julius Randle in 2019. Randle was the league's Most Improved Player this year and earned his first All-Star selection while averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

Other under-the-radar signings who became key contributors this season included Nerlens Noel, Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks. 

While RJ Barrett was considered an obvious draft pick at No. 3 overall in 2019, later selections like 2020 first-rounder Immanuel Quickley (acquired in a draft-night trade) and Mitchell Robinson (second round in 2018) have been steals.

The Knicks now head into the offseason with a lot of flexibility, totaling the most practical cap space in the NBA, per Spotrac. It will be up to Perry to make it count while trying to build a contender in the Eastern Conference.