The Knicks have hired New Orleans Pelicans scout Alex Kline, a high-ranking team source told SNY.

Kline, 26, had been a scout with New Orleans for the past four seasons, with a focus on college scouting.

The Athletic reported that Kline will work under Knicks assistant GM Walt Perrin, who will be responsible for college scouting.

Kline is well-respected by team personnel from across the league.

He joins VP of basketball strategy Brock Aller, Perrin and assistant GM Frank Zanin (pro scouting) as Rose's front-office additions. Rose also retained Scott Perry as general manager. Perry has a contract for the 2020-21 season.

Kline was named to Forbes' 30 under 30 list for sports when he was just 19 years old. He began covering recruiting as a teen, created a successful network and following, and earned a position with the Pelicans.

Kline's remarkable backstory, detailed here by Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Forbes' Adam Zagoria, includes a charity game in honor of his late mother, Mary, that featured Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, and many other current NBA players.

The articles show that Kline has strong relationships with coaches and players from the grassroots/high school level to the pro level, which can help the Knicks in gaining a 360-degree understanding of potential draft picks, free agents or trade targets.

Rose still has decisions to make on other members of the front office and scouting department who were hired by former president Steve Mills and Perry. As of earlier this month, he was continuing to do due diligence on the current staff while dealing with day-to-day operations of the club.

Opposing executives had anticipated that there would be further changes to staffing in the Knicks' front office and scouting departments (something that Aller was expected to help evaluate).

One person who has worked under previous regimes, Allan Houston, is still considered a strong candidate to remain with the club under Rose, as the New York Daily News first reported.

Houston has a strong relationship with Rose and his business partner, William 'World Wide Wes' Wesley, who is widely expected to have an advisory role with the club. Houston had been traveling with the team more regularly after Rose was hired.

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