By: Tyler Ward
Reports surfaced on Thursday that the Knicks could hire former star Allan Houston as their next general manager. He is considered the "front runner" to take the role, while team president Donnie Walsh has acted as the general manager the past few seasons.
While speaking to the media, Walsh didn't confirm or deny the rumor of Houston's possible hiring. "He is working with me to learn the position of GM, whether with the Knicks or elsewhere," Walsh said. "I feel Allan has the tools to be a great GM."
Houston currently works for the Knicks as the team's special assistant to the president.
An announcement isn't expected in the immediate future, but it is very possible that the former player could be the next leader. However, Houston has no prior front office experience, so the hiring is rather questionable.
There had been rumors surfacing that New York had been interested in bringing back, you guessed it, Isiah Thomas as the general manager. Thomas is currently the head coach of the Florida International Golden Panthers - after being hired before the 2009 season, Thomas led the Golden Panthers to a dismal 7-25 record.
He was hired by the Knicks in 2003 to be their President of Basketball Operations and didn't fare too well to say the least. It could be considered one of the worst catastrophes in the NBA history, as Thomas practically doomed the Knicks franchise for the rest of the decade. In 2008, the Knicks fired Thomas after six horrible seasons and it makes many people think (if they did bring him back), what are the Knicks thinking?Even though Allan Houston hasn't held any front office positions, he would definitely be a better choice than Thomas.
Houston was selected 11th overall by the Pistons in the 1993 draft out of the University of Tennessee. After his rookie contact expired in 1996, he signed with the Knicks and played for them the following nine seasons. He helped lead the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals, but lost to David Robinson and the Spurs - Houston also has had two All-Star nominations (2000, 2001). In 2001, Houston signed a maximum contract extension with New York, but his injuries practically made him untradeable after making roughly $20 million per season.
On October 17, 2005, Houston announced his retirement after a consistent battle with injuries. In 2007, he announced that he would try to make a comeback, but bad timing led to him virtually staying retired.
