The New York Knicks continue to fill out their basketball operations staff, with their latest move being one that has been rumored ever since Leon Rose took over the franchise. William Wesley, better known as Worldwide Wes, will officially join the Knicks with a vague title and a close relationship with Rose.
As the Knicks’ new executive vice president and senior basketball advisor, Wesley’s job will likely be to act as Rose’s right-hand man in the ongoing struggle to return the Knicks to relevance and paint over a badly stained public image.
“We are very excited to announce the hiring of William Wesley, someone that I have known for over 40 years and consider to be family,” Rose said in a team statement, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “He is one of the most well-connected and respected people in the basketball community and he will be a tremendous asset and resource to both myself and the New York Knicks.”
Wesley had been a rep on the NBA coaches side of CAA, the agency where Rose used to run the NBA operations. But he is widely known as one of the most well-connected people in the league, and was around the Knicks’ organization long before Rose was hired, according to Vorkunov. The Knicks will continue their coaching search, which has been expansive and starry thus far, and with Wesley in tow, perhaps the powerful relationships the Knicks’ new front office has formed over the years will begin to come in handy.