New Syracuse men’s basketball general manager begins work

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s new men’s basketball general manager has started his duties in the newly created role. Alex Kline, who graduated from Syracuse University in 2016, joined the Syracuse basketball staff after four years as a scout with the New York Knicks NBA team, per the university’s June 28 announcement. He started the new job on July 1, Peter Moore, director of athletic communication at Syracuse University, tells CNYBJ in a June 28 email. The general manager will support men’s basketball head coach Adrian Autry in managing various aspects of the Syracuse program. Kline’s primary responsibilities will include scouting and recruiting, former student-athlete engagement, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, transfer-portal management, and institutional fundraising in collaboration with University Advancement. “As we look to compete at the highest levels, bringing in Alex as our General Manager position is critical,” Autry said in the Syracuse University announcement. “This move aligns with our goal of being at the forefront of player evaluation, development and retention, recruiting, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in college basketball. It will help Syracuse compete at the national level.” With the Knicks, Kline was a talent evaluator who helped the organization with the NBA Draft, the trade deadline and free agency, as well as special projects for the team president, VP, and assistant general manager, Syracuse University said. Kline had earlier served as basketball-operations assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA in 2016. The Knicks hired him as a scout in 2020.  His interest in recruiting started at a young age. Kline launched The Recruit Scoop in 2010, an online site devoted to publicizing high-school basketball players. “Rapidly growing interest” in the site led to affiliation with Yahoo! Sports and Rivals in 2012, while Kline was still in high school, Syracuse University said.