Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Knicks fire Mills, begin search for new team boss
The Knicks made a big move before the trade deadline — by getting rid of the guy who would have been making their deals.
They fired President Steve Mills on Tuesday, shaking up the front office at a most unusual time.
General manager Scott Perry will take over control of the basketball operations, with the team announcing that it would begin an immediate search for a new president just two days before the trade deadline.
Mills has held a number of titles at Madison Square Garden since 1999, where he came after spending 16 years at the NBA. But this was the first time his role included full control of basketball decisions, and now MSG executive chairman James Dolan will look for someone else to do it.
Mills’ firing is the second major change for the Knicks this season. They fired coach David Fizdale after just 22 games.
The Knicks are 15-36 this season, Mills’ third in charge after replacing Phil Jackson. They were 17-65 last season, tying the worst record in franchise history, but believed a big summer could lead to a quick improvement.
However, they couldn’t sign any of the top free agents despite having enough money to afford two of them, watching as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving instead joined the Nets. Mills then pivoted to sign veteran players to short-term contracts, later insisting those were the players the Knicks were targeting all along.
But instead the Knicks are headed for a seventh consecutive season with a losing record and no playoff appearance.
Change to 3-point contest:
The NBA will change the format to this season’s 3-point contest at All-Star weekend by adding a pair of deep shots that will be worth three points apiece, The AP reported Tuesday.
Each round will now be a total of 27 shots instead of 25, and competitors will now get 70 seconds to finish their shots instead of the customary 60.
The two additional shots will come from six feet beyond the 3-point line, between the racks located on the wings and the one at the top of the key.
The change is being made in part to stay consistent with the times, since NBA players are shooting more shots from deeper distances than ever. There had been nearly 300 shots made from at least 30 feet this season, already more than the total from last season.
The rest of the format remains the same. The list of competitors for the 3-point contest includes Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), Buddy Hield (Kings), Davis Bertans (Wizards), Devonte’ Graham (Hornets), Duncan Robinson (Heat), Trae Young (Hawks), Zach LaVine (Bulls) and Joe Harris (Nets).