Knicks Rumors: Cavs Cap Expert Brock Aller Close to Contract Under Leon Rose

New York Knicks President Leon Rose is close to finalizing a deal to bring aboard Brock Aller, an executive with the Cleveland Cavaliers who served as a "financial planner/capologist" for the organization, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post and Frank Isola of ESPN.

Aller will not be filling the position of general manager under Rose, per Berman, who added that "another person familiar with the situation said Aller would be regarded as sort of a 'chief of staff' who would aid Rose in future hirings such as GM and in running finances."

Scott Perry is currently the team's general manager, though his contract expires June 30. It is unclear if Rose will retain him or will seek a replacement. The team's current capologist is Michael Arciero, while Berman reported that "Perry's other scouts—assistant GM Gerald Madkins, personnel Harold Ellis and scout Fred Cofield—could face a shaky future."

As for Aller, Cleveland Cavaliers chairman Dan Gilbert called him "one of the finer capologists" in the NBA in 2017.

"He knows more about the cap than probably PricewaterhouseCoopers knows about the IRS code," he added. "He lives with the cap, with the collective bargaining agreement. He comes up with ideas on things that the league has never heard of, they have to go into their committees to check if it's OK or not. He's sort of a savant with this."

SNY's Ian Begley reported that Aller will be one of Rose's "right-hand men" once he's officially hired, with a league source telling him that "Brock is someone Leon is going to lean on."

Given New York's struggles in recent years—the Knicks haven't had a winning season since the 2012-13 campaign—structural changes are necessary in the front office. Rose's appointment was a start. Adding a respected executive like Aller would be another strong move.