Obama kin added as Knicks executive
The construction continues — and not just on every road you use daily.
The Knicks’ front office is adding another piece as Bucks executive Craig Robinson, the brother-in-law of former President Barack Obama and former college teammate of Knicks president Steve Mills, will be joining the team to serve “multiple roles” in the organization, league sources confirmed Monday.
In the wake of the ouster of former team president Phil Jackson, the Knicks have named Mills president and hired Scott Perry from the Kings as general manager. Additionally, former player Gerald Madkins, who held executive positions with four other teams, has agreed to join the Knicks as assistant general manager.
Robinson, 55, has been the Bucks’ vice president of player and organizational development since 2016.
Robinson will work in areas of player development and will have a role with the Knicks’ Westchester G-League affiliate, although Allan Houston will remain as general manager for the developmental team.
A two-time Ivy League Player of the Year at Princeton, where he played alongside Mills for two seasons, Robinson served as head coach at both Brown and Oregon State after being an assistant at Northwestern. He is the older brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Vertical first reported the Knicks’ intentions to hire Robinson.
On the player front, the Knicks made the signings of second-round pick Damyean Dotson and last year’s undrafted rookie Ron Baker official. Dotson gets two guaranteed years for $2.47 million with a third year at a team option. Baker, who averaged 4.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds, will fetch $8.9 million over two years under the room exception which is granted to teams under the salary cap.