Mills is once again surfacing as a strong candidate to replace Billy Hunter as executive director of the NBA players’ union, the Daily News has learned.

With his future in New York uncertain under new Knicks president Phil Jackson, Steve Mills is once again surfacing as a strong candidate to replace Billy Hunter as executive director of the NBA players’ union, the Daily News has learned.

Mills was in the running to replace Hunter last summer before James Dolan rehired Mills on the eve of training camp after the Garden Chairman abruptly fired general manager Glen Grunwald. Mills was named president, and his plan was to hire a GM with a background in analytics, but that plan was altered dramatically when Dolan began to pursue Jackson in December.

The Knicks originally offered Jackson the head coaching position, but he turned it down before agreeing to a five-year, $60 million contract to run the franchise. After 5½ months as president, Mills was reassigned to general manager and has been working under Jackson since mid-March amid speculation that Jackson will bring in his own GM.

There are conflicting theories on what Mills’ role with the Knicks will be if he happens to remain with the organization. Bleacher Report reported that Mills, assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien will either be reassigned or fired. All three have close personal ties to Dolan, who has already clashed with Jackson over potential staff firings.

The Daily News reported on Wednesday that Dolan has gone against his promise to Jackson and isn’t giving him the autonomy to make changes throughout the organization. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported that Jackson and Dolan disagree over making changes to the club’s medical department, which is headed by Dr. Lisa Callahan.

According to a source, Jackson also wants to make changes in the scouting department. The News reported two weeks ago that former Bulls scout Clarence Gaines Jr. has joined Jackson in New York. Jackson also wants to eliminate some staff members simply based on the Knicks having too many employees holding similar jobs. Jackson revealed that he will work with the Knicks’ next head coach on assembling a coaching staff as well as a support staff, which includes trainers, strength and conditioning personal and media relations employees.

Mills’ status is unclear. He never got the opportunity to put his stamp on the Knicks. Mills didn’t pull off a major signing or trade during his nearly six months as team president. He did, however, consider firing Mike Woodson on several occasions, according to a source, but in the end Woodson survived all 82 games before being dismissed, along with the entire coaching staff, on Monday.
The Princeton-educated Mills, who played for legendary coach Pete Carril, could have an inside track on the union job. He is well-respected among players as well as league and team executives.

“It would be great for the union’s future if Steve is the guy,” said one player representative, who did not want to be identified.
Mills joined the Knicks in 1999 and was with the club for 10 years before leaving. He was the CEO of Athletes & Entertainers Wealth Management Group before rejoining the Knicks. Mills also worked 16 years at the league office where he eventually served as the Senior Vice President of Basketball and Player Development.

Former NBA All-Star point guard and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson will lead a search committee to select a new executive director for the NBA Players Association. Mills sat with Johnson during the Knicks-Kings game last month in Sacramento.

Hunter was ousted as executive director of the NBAPA on Feb. 16, 2013 by a vote of 24-0 by the union’s board of player representatives. The decision followed a nine-month investigation by the firm of Paul Weiss into the union’s finances and business practices during Hunter’s 17-year tenure.

Union attorney Ron Klempner is currently serving as the acting executive director of the NBAPA.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/knicks-gm-mills-running-head-nbapa-article-1.1768454#ixzz2zulnUMmi

Dude is a smart guy and did well for himself. Good for him.

I am jealous of anyone who played in Pete Carril's system. I am sure that he really enjoyed watching Woodsons offense.

yellowboy90 wrote:

mreinman wrote:He gets a bad rap in NY.

Dude is a smart guy and did well for himself. Good for him.

I am jealous of anyone who played in Pete Carril's system. I am sure that he really enjoyed watching Woodsons offense.

Like I said before if some of the players in the rumor/trade reports were true he had a good eye and feel for what could help.

I also see Phil has hire Clarence Gaines Jr(worked w/Phil in CHI) as a scout and he may want to fire some NY scouts. I am not sure how I feel about that because I think the scouting dept has done an amazing job recently but maybe everyone isn't pulling their weight and he is trimming the fat. IDK. However, I do not remember Chicago having a good track record in the draft under Phil or the Lakers having a good draft record under Phil besides Kobe and maybe Fisher. although, fisher maybe overrated depending on how you view total game and clutch time performance offense and his on/off again D. Maybe those scouts had a good eye for FAs.

Krause was teh GM in Chicago, Kupchek in Los Angeles. Scouting free agents, Euros and players to trade besides draft. Many players go undrafted and are scouted.

Jerry West Traded Vlade for 13th pick which was Kobe.

Nalod wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:

mreinman wrote:He gets a bad rap in NY.

Dude is a smart guy and did well for himself. Good for him.

I am jealous of anyone who played in Pete Carril's system. I am sure that he really enjoyed watching Woodsons offense.

Like I said before if some of the players in the rumor/trade reports were true he had a good eye and feel for what could help.

I also see Phil has hire Clarence Gaines Jr(worked w/Phil in CHI) as a scout and he may want to fire some NY scouts. I am not sure how I feel about that because I think the scouting dept has done an amazing job recently but maybe everyone isn't pulling their weight and he is trimming the fat. IDK. However, I do not remember Chicago having a good track record in the draft under Phil or the Lakers having a good draft record under Phil besides Kobe and maybe Fisher. although, fisher maybe overrated depending on how you view total game and clutch time performance offense and his on/off again D. Maybe those scouts had a good eye for FAs.

Krause was teh GM in Chicago, Kupchek in Los Angeles. Scouting free agents, Euros and players to trade besides draft. Many players go undrafted and are scouted.

Jerry West Traded Vlade for 13th pick which was Kobe.

I get that. Phil said he had a lot of input in CHicago more so than the Lakers so that's why I wondered.

Maybe a combination of the previous staff draft/euro scouting combined with whoever Phil/the coach brings in creates the perfect synergy. Maybe.

Nalod wrote:via wiki:

Transition to NBA management[edit]

Kupchak showed remarkable forethought in planning for his "life after" being an NBA player—pursuing a focused program to learn the trade of running NBA team operations. While still under his initial player contract, he worked with the "front office", developing strong working relationships with Laker management, beginning to "apprentice" with Jerry West, and starting studies that led to his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1987.

As general manager[edit]

Kupchak retired from playing in 1986, and became the Lakers' assistant general manager (under GM, and Basketball Hall of Famer, Jerry West). He later succeeded West as General Manager, but was not considered to have all of the traditional powers of an NBA GM until 2000 (when West resigned as Vice President of Basketball Operations, for the challenge of trying to replicate the Lakers' level of success as GM of the recently relocated, last-place Memphis Grizzlies).

On July 16, 2003, after the Lakers failed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 3 years, Kupchak's first major deal was the off-season acquisitions of superstars Karl Malone and Gary Payton (who had both failed to win an NBA championship despite long, Hall of Fame-caliber careers).[2] Yet, after a number of controversial trade transactions over the years, including the trade of Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant—as well as the decision to not trade young center Andrew Bynum for point guard Jason Kidd—Kupchak faced severe criticism from Lakers franchise star Kobe Bryant, who urged his firing. However, Kupchak still had the support of the owner, Dr. Buss.

In 2007, Kupchak traded Brian Cook and Maurice Evans for Trevor Ariza, and the Lakers started the season off with the best record in the west. After an injury to Andrew Bynum cast their recent success in doubt, his February 2008 deal to obtain Spanish Power Forward Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, and draft picks (one of which was the right to Marc Gasol) earned him praise (and scorn) from league insiders and fans alike. Bryant later conceded, "He goes from a[n] F to an A-plus.",[1] while Gregg Popovich, coach of Western Conference rival San Antonio Spurs, went so far as to argue that "there should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense".[3] That year, the Lakers reached the NBA Finals for the 5th time in 9 years, but would eventually lose to the Boston Celtics. The following year, however, they returned and won in a 4-1 rout over the Orlando Magic.

In 2009, Kupchak signed 2004 Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest, famous for his role in the Pacers-Pistons Brawl, as a free agent. The Lakers would go on to beat the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers made it to their seventh NBA Finals in 11 years, winning in a championship re-match against the Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals.

Kobe wanted him fired and then changed his mark from an F to an A+. That is funny. Has there been a more narcissistic azzhole?

Kupchak did a great job recovering post shaq but the Gasol trade - playa2 says something smells really rotten, though it looks far less bad these days with MGasol.

NardDogNation wrote:I honestly think that Phil needs to keep Mills. For all his basketball talents, Jackson has a way of rubbing people the wrong way, which includes friend and foe alike. Mills is much more congenial and has a cache of contacts throughout the league that would benefit us in trades and wooing free agents. I don't want to see Mills be pushed out.

I agree - but who does not want to be the next billy hunter?

CrushAlot wrote:

mreinman wrote:He gets a bad rap in NY.

Dude is a smart guy and did well for himself. Good for him.

I am jealous of anyone who played in Pete Carril's system. I am sure that he really enjoyed watching Woodsons offense.

He is reportedly the guy behind the Dyess trade. He was the boss during the Isiah era. He has ties to Isiah. Too much dirty knick laundry in my opinion. I don't know what his accomplishments are but I would be happier if he did well for himself in a position that was not in the Knick organization.

You are making him guilty by association which may be understandable but maybe unfair

That trade was bad but there have been many good GM's who have made really bad trades.

CrushAlot wrote:

mreinman wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

mreinman wrote:He gets a bad rap in NY.

Dude is a smart guy and did well for himself. Good for him.

I am jealous of anyone who played in Pete Carril's system. I am sure that he really enjoyed watching Woodsons offense.

He is reportedly the guy behind the Dyess trade. He was the boss during the Isiah era. He has ties to Isiah. Too much dirty knick laundry in my opinion. I don't know what his accomplishments are but I would be happier if he did well for himself in a position that was not in the Knick organization.

You are making him guilty by association which may be understandable but maybe unfair

That trade was bad but there have been many good GM's who have made really bad trades.

That trade was really bad and it is the only one he has been credited with making. I think you can only judge him based on what he has done.

we have no idea what he has really been doing or what he is capable of.

He is a princeton grad and played for the legendary Pet Carril

I am curious ...