Tom Penn

[Manhattan Project]

Everyday that goes on, the more I like this guy to be the next GM of the Knicks. However my question is what do you think the odds of him leaving the Blazers? I know he has been around the likes of West and Pritchard over the years and is a cap expert. Do you think he would leave the Blazers for a chance to become a GM?

[Billy]

I would have to think he would. But I'd be rather surprised if he was hired as a GM quite yet. When the Blazers make the playoffs is when I expect teams calling about Penn.

[candy for lunch]

He'd be nuts to leave here for the Knicks.

[Spykes]

He'd be nuts to leave here for the Knicks.

The Knicks are in the mess they are because of Isiah, not just because they're the Knicks. As a young assistant GM, if you have the chance to be a head GM for an NBA team, you take it and run, regardless of the situation. Those kind of opportunities just don't come along often enough to be picky. It's only once you've held the position for awhile with a team or two that you can have that kind of luxury. Any young assistant GM would and should jump at the chance to fix the Knicks should he be offered it.

As for Penn, I agree with Billy. I do think he'd take the job and I think Pritchard would probably reluctantly let him go. KP might try and leverage something out of the Knicks in order for them to get him.

Personally, I hope the Knicks don't offer him the job, even though I think he'd do a great job. So far, I like what him and KP have been able to do together, so I'd hate to see him go.

Regardless, I don't see Dolan hiring a young and fairly unknown GM like Penn. He strikes me as someone who likes flashy moves, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him try and get a "big name" GM.

[Twith]

I was under the impression Penn is solely our salary-cap guru. Does he evaluate talent with KP? If not, he would be a pretty silly GM hire.

[Dutchv]

I was under the impression Penn is solely our salary-cap guru. Does he evaluate talent with KP? If not, he would be a pretty silly GM hire.

As long as he has good talent evaluators that he trusted, being a salary-cap guru and having common sense would be a good hire for most NBA teams. Some of the GMs out there are ridiculously horrible at their jobs.

[mojomarc]

I think that Paul Allen would match or exceed any offer the Knicks make that doesn't make him higher paid than KP.

[trentsdad]

NY wants a big name, West, Kiki etc. Penn isn't quite ready yet. But he will be soon

[PDXKnight]

I doubt Penn gets offered a GM deal just yet but I could see him leaving Portland for a GM job and would not hold it against him. I think Tom Penn could make a great GM and will become one eventually, but that said, NY would hire West above him any day of the week mainly because he's a proven GM. Atl, a return to Memphis, Milwaukee, Indiana???, Minnesota, and New Jersey may be fair game one or two seasons down the road though.

[Billy]

Even though he has been reluctant to throw his name in the hat the last few years, I'd have to think John Hammond's name would be the biggest in the assistant GM circles.