European coaching legend David Blatt won’t be retained in new Knicks president Leon Rose’s administration, according to an NBA source.
Blatt, who led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2015, was brought in as a consultant on Dec. 18 by former Knicks president Steve Mills. Blatt and Mills were Princeton teammates in the 1970s.
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Blatt’s consulting agreement expired, according to the source. Blatt’s contract was for the 2019-20 season, and Wednesday was the scheduled date of the Knicks’ regular-season finale in Minnesota. Blatt had attended all practices and home games since his hiring and was reviewing prospects for the upcoming draft.
“I have many other plans that were more in keeping with the direction I was going in before (the Knicks) came up,” Blatt told sport5 TV in Israel. “I enjoyed the experience — on to bigger and better things.”
Blatt’s removal does not bode well for Knicks player developmental director Craig Robinson, who also was a Princeton teammate of Mills. With the uncertainty of the lost revenues from the NBA’s suspension of the season, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there could be a league-wide trend of not renewing contracts.
The Post reported last month that acting GM Scott Perry was expected to still run the June 25 draft, though his long-term future is unclear. Perry’s contract is up June 30, but he could be retained in another capacity while Rose hires a new GM.
Blatt, 60, was coaching in Greece this past season before he was diagnosed with MS in October and had to resign. Blatt’s record with Cleveland was 83-40.
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