Zach Randolph said he thinks fellow All-Star LeBron James just might head to the Knicks this summer — with New York City and Madison Square Garden serving as the prime attractions.
Randolph, the former Knicks forward, was dealt to the Clippers in November 2008, as team president Donnie Walsh decided to start clearing cap space. Now with the Grizzlies, Randolph said before last night’s 120-109 Memphis win that the Knicks’ cap-clearing dumps of him and Jamal Crawford — among others — may end up being justified after all should James make the Garden his new home.
“It’s a good chance he will,” Randolph said. “Just the city, playing in the Garden. It’s going to be interesting, though. It’ll be interesting.”
How much Randolph — who annihilated the Knicks with 31 points and a career-high 25 rebounds — actually knows about James’ intentions, of course, is pretty debatable. But the big man does have experience playing here, spent a short time playing for coach Mike D’Antoni (whom he called “great”) and has established himself as an All-Star on a possible playoff team.
Told how much the personnel has changed here since he was traded, Randolph asked: “What are they trying to do? Who are they trying to get? They’re trying to get Bron
Bron, huh?
“But if they don’t get him, then I wonder [about their cap-clearing trades]. I don’t know.”
Randolph said if the Knicks don’t land James, they would have screwed up by dealing away him, Crawford and others. Asked about the potential for a Randolph-David Lee-Crawford Knicks core, Randolph whistled.
“We’d be tough, man,” he said.
Randolph himself was tough last night. He almost out-rebounded the Knicks’ entire team, his 25 falling just a bit short of their 32.
“He’s relentless,” Al Harrington said.
mark.hale@nypost.com