Rod Strickland was drafted by the Knicks in 1988 and played 132 games for the team before being sent to San Antonio for Maurice Cheeks. However, the Bronx native is a strong candidate to return to New York in some role, given his relationship with Leon Rose and William Wesley. Rose was Strickland’s agent during her gaming days.
Rumor has it that since Leon Rose was named president of basketball operations, Strickland was a name to look out for in an advisory or coaching role. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News listed him as a potential name for a coaching assistant job.
Like Kenny Payne, Strickland coached under John Calipari at the University of Memphis and Kentucky, developing a reputation for player development. He is currently the program manager of the G League and has developed a close relationship with William Wesley and Leon Rose.
Strickland checks all the boxes for a successful basketball player. He has been successful at the AAU, high school, college and NBA levels, making him a recognizable figure for top potential clients. All of these attributes have made him the ideal candidate for the G League development program leader, and the G League recently kicked many of the top potential clients like Jalen Green out of college.
It’s hard to think that Strickland would have quit the show just when it was having success, but it will be a test of how strong the relationship between Rose, Wesley and Strickland is.