NBA Insider Reports Dallas Mavericks Hiring Executive From New York Knicks
In the latest episode of Ring-Around-the-Rosie, the Mavericks are reportedly hiring former Knicks scout Makhtar Ndiaye as their director of pro personnel and international scouting, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN. He had been a scout with the Knicks for nine years and played in four games for the Vancouver Grizzlies back in the 1998-99 season.
With the Mavs’ acquisition of Quentin Grimes this offseason, 2024-25 will be the 12th consecutive season Dallas will have a former Knick on the roster. 2013-14 was the last time there wasn’t a former Knick on the roster, but players such as Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, and Shane Larkin would hit the Big Apple later in their careers.
The same goes for the Knicks, who have employed former Mavericks players every season dating back to the 2017-18 season, though they did trade Doug McDermott to the Mavs that season as part of a three-team trade. They also employed Roger Hinds as their athletic trainer that season, who worked as a trainer in Dallas from 1996 to 2004.
Dallas and New York will play twice on national TV this season, in Dallas on November 27th on ESPN and in Madison Square Garden on March 25th on TNT, their last regular season game on TNT before they give up the media rights to NBC.