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The Scott Perry Timeline
New York’s new GM has had a whirlwind of an NBA front office career, and has a new challenge with the Knicks.
2017 was a roller coaster for Scott Perry. Moving from the East Coast to the West Coast to finally back East again in four months must be a huge pain, but a decent paycheck and The Big Job may be an adequate painkiller.
The rights to employ Perry were traded for a second round pick and a bucket of cash from the New York Knicks. He then secured himself a five-year deal in NYC.
If he’s in it for himself, then that’s a great first move. For the Knicks, they stumbled again, even as they stopped to change direction. This was one more lengthy (in all probability) and lucrative contract that shouldn’t have been. That seems to be the theme for the Knicks this offseason. Nonetheless, if his first act as GM is berating his fellows in the front office for giving him job security, he may just have been the right choice. While his first actual move as the Knicks newly christened General Manager will be watched anxiously by the entire NBA, it may be telegraphed by his previous involvement in front office decisions. So, a timeline of Perry’s basketball journey is at the very least relevant, and at the most indicative.
His basketball origins date back to his early years in the state of Michigan. First, Perry first got his shot off of the court as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan. From there on he began to develop a reputation as an ace scout, a trait that doesn’t look bad on anybody’s résumé. His coaching career ended at Eastern Kentucky University in 2000 when he was subsequently hired by the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons and Seattle Supersonics
Personally hired by the Pistons’ then-new GM Joe Dumars, Scott’s first stint as a Pistons employee began with him as a scout. In an interview with Bounce Magazine Scott explained how his handle on college hoops led to his eventual hiring. By the summer of 2002, Scott was promoted to Director of Player Personnel. His rise happened just in time for the Pistons’ mid-2000s reign, or, maybe, his success is what spurred them on.
Scott was around for arguably the worst lottery pick of all-time, Darko Milicic, but he was also present for all but their final six straight Eastern Conference Finals from 2003- 2008 including their 2004 championship.
A lot of the players drafted during that stretch, save Mehmet Okur and Tayshaun Prince, were non-factors, but Prince’s impact during the Piston’s dominant play is a gold star for Perry, the personnel maestro. Lightning need only strike once after all. From 2002 to 2004, the Pistons created waves by signing Chauncey Billups and trading for NBA stars Richard Hamilton and eventual Knick Rasheed Wallace. With a locked in Defensive Player of the Year in Ben Wallace, the Pistons went 1–1 in the NBA Finals, losing due to one of Robert Horry’s patented clutch shots. Still, not a bad track record to have in roster building for Perry.
After a successful stint in Detroit, he was hired as Assistant GM to the Seattle Supersonics. There, he was a member of the front office that drafted the Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant. This stands as the biggest move of his sole year in Seattle before his return to the Detroit Pistons in a similar role as the Vice President of Basketball Operations.
Once again a Detroit Pistons front office guy, he continued his usual business, but with much more influence. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse during his four year stretch as VP. The sloppy rebuild’s (it’s important to note that the Pistons still haven’t gotten it together) only solace was the drafting of Andre Drummond in 2012, just days after Perry accepted a position as Assistant GM with the Orlando Magic.
Those later, ugly years with Pistons are a logical reason to feel uneasy about the hiring if that’s how he handled his first rebuild. The second rebuild he was a part of with the Orlando Magic is at the very least intriguing.
Orlando Magic
Hired in late June of 2012, it’s doubtful if he had much say in the Detroit’s drafting of Andre Drummond, but the same cannot be said about the Dwight Howard blockbuster deal that shook the league that August. Prime Dwight Howard was traded for a total of five picks, Nicola Vucevic, Al Harrington, Mo Harkless, Arron Afflalo, Josh McRoberts, and Christian Eyenga. At first glance it’s a mouthful, with a second look the trade yielded very handsome assets in the Magic’s favor, but a real inspection of the goods and their fruits reveals poor execution after the initial big deal.
Eyenga and Harrington, were waived. McRoberts was traded for Hakim Warrick, who would never dress, but be waived. Harkless was traded for a 2020 second round pick. Most of the picks gathered from the trade didn’t amount to much. The conditional first round pick from L.A. turned into Lonzo Ball while the other notable selections amounted to Dario Saric and Domantas Sabonis who they selected, but traded both players. The former was for Elfrid Payton. The latter was for Serge Ibaka who would again be traded for Terrence Ross and a 2017 first round pick from the Toronto Raptors. That pick was in turn traded into a first and second round pick in 2020. Lost in the mix was the drafting and trading of Victor Oladipo, who was included in the Serge Ibaka trade, and current Knick Kyle O’Quinn’s sign-and-trade to New York. Bismack Biyombo’s free agent signing was also a head scratcher that clogged the big man rotation in Orlando.
In short, the Magic aren’t in need of miscellaneous assets, but if that’s Perry’s iteration of The Process, the Knickerbockers will want no part of it.
However, all assets acquired weren’t a swing and a miss. Afflalo would be traded for Evan Fournier and the draft rights of Devyn Marble. The Magic also drafted rising star Aaron Gordon who may decide to stay awhile. So, if he’s to take any of the blame, he’s got to take some of the credit, too. All in all, if nothing else, he’s been busy. He was let go by the Magic before last season’s end. However, his journey would take him out West before his decision to take the reigns in New York.
Sacramento Kings
In April, the Sacramento Kings hired Perry as an Assistant GM that would facilitate a culture change with his winning experience and professionalism as a front office executive. (The Knicks could use a dose of that, too.)
Obviously, he brought something if the Kings draft results are any indication. A sly, savvy pick swap with the Portland Trail Blazers landed the Kings both Justin Jackson and Harry Giles while their lottery pick gave them coveted Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox. Already, the crew has garnered some interesting results in this year’s Summer League. Things are suddenly looking up for the Kings, hopefully Scott Perry can bring that same smart management to the Knicks.
The Kings received a 2019 second rounder and cash considerations as compensation for the Knicks luring Perry away with a more powerful role and a lengthy contract.
Although his track record looks funny in the light, his presence might halt the Knicks perpetual shame as the laughing stock of the NBA. Each day, it looks more and more likely that his first move as GM will be trading Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, even though it has been reported that the trade has been put on hold with Perry’s hiring. It’s fairly evident that his first deal as the Knicks General Manager may be his most important and set the tone for the rest of his contract.
— Ty Jordan, staff writer
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