The New York Knicks made a stunning decision when they mutually cut ties with their now-former team president Phil Jackson, ending what had become a tumultuous era. Jackson's public proclamation of the Knicks' need to trade Carmelo Anthony, which led to young star Kristaps Porzingis bristling toward the direction of the franchise, was the beginning of the end. Kristaps skipped his exit interview with Jackson following his call for a mutual split with Carmelo to media, but ultimately it would be the Zen Master who left the franchise first. New York now has a major problem to solve and little time to do it. Free agency begins on July 1 but the team is in the dark without a leader in the front office. The Knicks are beginning to make progress toward Jackson's replacement, with a few interesting candidates popping up. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical points to Knicks owner James Dolan having interest in bringing Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri to New York. Ujiri has a great reputation around the league as being a shrewd leader who often comes out on top of trades.The Knicks know that all too well, essentially being fleeced by Ujiri in a trade that sent New York Andrea Bargnani. New York traded three draft picks to Toronto in exchange for Bargnani, a one-sided trade that clearly left an impression - and hurtful impact - on the Knicks. Another name in the mix is Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti, another respected executive across the league, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Presti's been the Thunder's leading front office voice since 2007, constructing then deconstructing a core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. Next up is Isaiah Thomas, who previously ran things in New York and has close ties to Dolan, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Thomas' time in New York isn't viewed fondly by fans, and Thomas also jumped on Twitter to deny that rumor, stating he's happy working as an analyst with NBA TV and team president of the New York Liberty WNBA team:

The last name to tack on the list is the heaviest hitter implicated with the Knicks yet. Zach Lowe of ESPN reports that the Knicks have shown interest in swiping general manager RC Buford from the San Antonio Spurs. He's held his post since 2002, enjoying incredible success and building one of the best franchise's in all professional sports. 

The Knicks have some high hopes, but with free agency only days away and the Carmelo dilemma to sort through, time is working against New York.