As the future of team leadership remains uncertain, the Knicks are "obsessed" with the idea of Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri coming on board, SNY's Ian Begley has reported.
And according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, a team source said the Knicks "look at him as the chosen one."
When it comes to what it could take for the Knicks to get the under-contract Ujiri from the Raptors, the cost could be massive, Begley reported on Dec. 15.
Begley reported that one NBA team recently demanded two first-round picks when another team inquired about letting its executive out of an existing contract. The transaction -- which would have involved an executive generally considered a tier below Ujiri, sources said -- didn't get to the finish line.
With the Knicks at 6-21 and having already axed head coach David Fizdale for interim head coach Mike Miller, the next big decision could involve team president Steve Mills and/or GM Scott Perry.
Begley reported on Dec. 11 that several members of the organization fully expect Mills will be replaced as team president at the end of the season -- if not sooner -- unless the club somehow turns things around.
If the Knicks move on from Mills and are unable to land Ujiri (or simply unwilling to pay the price), they could potentially turn their attention toward executive options such as Donnie Nelson, RC Buford, and Sam Presti.
Ujiri, 49, first began working for the Raptors in 2008. He joined the Nuggets as their GM in 2010, and was named the NBA Executive of the Year in 2013. He returned to the Raptors in May of 2013, becoming their GM and executive vice president.