Mark Warkentien set to be hired as consultant by the Knicks
According to league sources Mark Warkentien, former Denver Nuggets general manager, has agreed to come to New York as a high-level consultant for the Knicks. He will be teaming up with Donnie Walsh to collaborate on scouting activities.
The hiring of Warkentien is widely regarded as the first step in getting Carmelo Anthony to New York. Warkentien had a very strong relationship with Carmelo in Denver. With the upcoming transfer window opening soon, Warkentien is expected to entice the point
guard to join him at Madison Square Garden.
After hearing of Warkentien’s new position with the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony commented, “As far as I'm concerned that's a great addition to their organization.”
Warkentien’s National Basketball Association (NBA) career started when he scouted for the Seattle Super Kings in 1991 to 1994. He joined the Denver Nuggets in the summer 2005 and is credited with bringing a positive change to the organization. With Warkentien
at the helm, the Denver Nuggets won 45 games during his fist year. Their record went up to 50 the next season. This third season with Denver yielded 54 wins. The Nuggets were able to maintain the winning into their fourth season with Warkentien.
As general manager he was the driving force behind an agreement in 2008 that traded Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson. The move is considered the reason the Nuggets made it into the Western Conference Finals in 2009. Mark Warkentien was also named the NBA
2009 Executive of the year.
Mark Warkentien is considered at his best when finding the middle ground between two parties. A master of negotiation, the Harvard graduate is rightly known as the best in the business. Extremely experienced and highly motivated, Mark Warkentien’s 20 years
of knowledge will only bring good things to New York basketball.
According to Forbes, the New York Knicks are the most valuable team in the NBA. This seems to have struck a chord with management, who is sparing no expense in building a championship team. Warkentien is only the first piece of the puzzle.
Tags: