Now comes hardest part: Fix MSG mess

Scott Perry is, according to one rival Eastern Conference executive, a “good guy who is well respected around the league.” Another said Perry would be “a good hire for the Knicks. I’m surprised they would do it.” So it appears that the Knicks, with Steve Mills clearly in charge, may be doing something right for a change. But that’s just half the battle. Hiring Donnie Walsh was also the right call. Same with Larry Brown. And Mike D’Antoni. NBA guys, some of them lifers, with more impressive credentials than Perry have been brought to Madison Square Garden, celebrated as the savior and ultimately cast aside. Does the name Phil Jackson ring a bell? That’s the Garden culture. Too many voices, not enough accountability and soon the Knicks are searching for the next guy. That’s what led them to Jackson. And that’s what now leads them to Perry, who is being targeted as the general manager to work under Mills, who has always had his eyes on replacing Jackson as Knicks president. Mills’ staying power should not be underestimated. He is a survivor who is now the highest ranking basketball official at MSG despite Isiah Thomas being in the building and having James Dolan’s ear. That’s pretty impressive. But he doesn’t have the basketball acumen of Isiah. Or even Mark Hughes and Mark Warkentien, two long-time executives who were passed over for the GM job. Nor does Mills have the same day to day experience of running a team like Perry, who helped build some of the great Detroit Pistons teams in the 2000s. The question now is how much power will Perry have to run the team? Will Mills and those close to him allow Perry to perform his job or is Perry there just to provide cover for them?

Former Cavs general manager David Griffin withdrew his name from consideration because Mills — and Dolan — would not give him the authority to hire and fire his staff.

Without autonomy, Griffin wasn’t interested. Does that mean Perry is so desperate for the job that he’s willing to play by the Garden’s rules? Time will tell if Perry has power and by time we’re talking about six months from now. At the earliest.

Assuming Perry accepts the job, he doesn’t have much room to maneuver. The NBA Draft was last month. The Knicks used most of their cap space by signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million contract last week and signing restricted free agent Ron Baker to a two-year deal worth $9 million just a couple of days ago.

Plus, a deal that could potentially send Carmelo Anthony to Houston is already in the works. The hold-up is trying to find a landing spot for the Rockets’ Ryan Anderson, who is scheduled to earn $60 million over the next three seasons.

The Knicks are not interested in that contract. That is the sentiment of most of the league, so a deal for Melo may take some time.

An ESPN report claims that the Knicks and Sacramento Kings, where Perry has worked for just a few months, are discussing compensation for Perry. That could be cash considerations or perhaps a second-round pick.

Perry, like most executives, has had his share of hits and misses. As the assistant GM of the Orlando Magic he was on a staff that drafted Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja. Since joining the Kings in late April, Perry was part of a staff that drafted De’Aaron Fox fifth and selected Justin Jackson and Harry Giles in the first round. Sacramento then signed George Hill, Vince Carter and Zach Randolph.

Needless to say, the Kings have had a better offseason than the Knicks, who were a punchline for Peyton Manning’s opening monologue at Wednesday’s ESPYs. They’ve been a joke for a long time.

Perry can potentially change that narrative, but only if the Knicks, meaning Mills and Dolan, allow him to.