Washington has made a front-office-style addition to its men’s basketball staff, announcing that Alex Kline will join the program as general manager.
The University of Washington said head coach Danny Sprinkle announced the hire on Sept. 17. Kline arrives after serving in the same role at Syracuse, his alma mater, since 2024. The appointment gives the Huskies a staff member whose résumé includes recent college administration and previous NBA evaluation work.
A background in scouting and operations
Before returning to Syracuse, Kline worked as a scout for the New York Knicks from 2020 through 2024, according to Washington’s announcement. Earlier, he was a basketball operations assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2016 through 2020.
Washington says Kline assisted the Pelicans with college scouting and player evaluation, providing information used for the NBA Draft and free agency. Those experiences offer direct context for why a program would add him to a general-manager role, though the school has not outlined a detailed public job description for his Washington position.
What Washington has—and has not—announced
The confirmed news is the hire and title. Washington has not specified how responsibility will be divided among Kline, Sprinkle and the rest of the staff, nor has it attached the announcement to a player move, recruiting decision or change to the 2026–27 roster.
That distinction is useful. The general-manager title signals an organizational investment in evaluation and roster planning, but it should not be treated as proof of a particular recruiting, transfer-portal or NIL strategy until the program describes one.
A distinct Seattle basketball development
This is a University of Washington staffing move, separate from Seattle’s NBA-expansion conversation. The source announcement makes no NBA franchise claim. It establishes that the Huskies have added a general manager with a record in college basketball administration, pro scouting and basketball operations.
As Washington prepares for the next season, the way it defines and deploys Kline’s role will be worth following. For now, the roster-building experience on his résumé is a matter of record; the outcomes at Montlake will take shape over the course of the program’s next competitive cycle.