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Has Knicks' Leon Rose Warranted Executive of the Year Consideration?

Leon Rose's in-season dealing has turned the New York Knicks into a legitimate threat and could warrant some award consideration come this spring.

Jeremy Brener

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Since taking over in 2020, New York Knicks president Leon Rose has been the face of the organization's roster restructuring. The team hardly resembles the one he inherited but is likely on its soundest foundation since the turn of the century. 

This year has seen Rose and his team make some of their biggest splashes yet, swapping homegrown talents like RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley for Precious Achuiwa, OG Anunoby. and Bojan Bogdanovic. Rose also welcomed in former Golden State Warrior and current starter Donte DiVincenzo over the offseason.

All that and perhaps more led Bleacher Report to offer Rose some hypothetical in-season flowers, offering him the runner-up spot in the race for Executive of the Year Award. 

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"OG Anunoby is finally back after a long absence, and hopefully the rest of the injured Knicks won't be far behind," Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes writes. "Even if we never see New York with the full complement of talent Rose put together over the summer (don't forget Donte DiVincenzo, perhaps the best mid-level exception signing in the league) and at the deadline, he still deserves credit for remaking the team on the fly."

Leave it to the Boston Celtics to overshadow the Knicks ... president Brad Stevens got the current nod thanks to newcomers Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis leading the way to the NBA's best record ... but Rose has turned his group into a legitimate contender despite some injuries. 

Though several newcomers are due to hit the market this summer, Rose has given a Knicks' present and future a solid foundation: in making his deals, Rose has given the team flexibility to sign and trade for other assets this summer, as he was able to keep every first-rounder the team picked up over the past few offseasons and deadlines.

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Rose's Knicks are currently fighting for a playoff spot, current stationed in fourth in the East entering the weekend. That journey continues on Saturday when they take on the Sacramento Kings in the second part of a four-game road trip (10 p.m. ET, MSG).

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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