OKLAHOMA CITY — The Knicks left Houston on Saturday night without a victory and without genuine hope of winning the Tracy McGrady Sweepstakes.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told The Post that Donnie Walsh appears a longshot to nail McGrady, with seven teams having submitted various proposals.
“There might not be a fit with New York because their goals don’t necessarily meet our goals,” Morey said. “I think they like him but there’s an issue of fit.”
The Knicks, who face Oklahoma City tonight at Ford Center after blowing a 13-point lead in Houston, are hesitant about giving up a young player in the deal. Youth is what the Rockets are seeking, according to someone who has spoken to Morey.
According to the source, Morey is eager to get either rookie, Jordan Hill or Toney Douglas, in a T-Mac deal. Neither Hill and Douglas is in the rotation and may not get in this season. Hill and Douglas are behind undrafted rookie Marcus Landry.
Still, the Knicks are pushing Jared Jeffries in a package in their attempt to also clear more 2010 cap space. Morey, too, is trying to clear cap room and has told the Knicks he’s not interested in Jeffries. In fact, according to the source, the Rockets don’t think Al Harrington would crack Houston’s rotation.
Morey said he believes a deal for McGrady’s $23 million expiring contract will occur, but not until the Feb. 19 trading deadline. McGrady is in Chicago training.
“I think there’s a deal to be done, probably at the deadline,” Morey said. “Teams don’t generally move early, especially on one this big. I think there’s enough interest from enough teams who either like McGrady or are looking to save money.”
The Knicks would want McGrady for a playoff push and also to see if he’s worth re-signing despite coming off the same microfracture knee surgery that ended Allan Houston’s career. However, their interest in T-Mac decreases as their core group continues to jell.
Tonight, the Knicks will face the new McGrady — Kevin Durant — and the surprising Thunder (20-16). Durant is averaging 28.7 points — fourth in the league — and will make his first All-Star game, with the length, style and grace very similar to McGrady in his prime.
D’Antoni will sic Wilson Chandler on Durant. Chandler, who apologized to his teammates after the Houston loss for his team-high 5 turnovers, has become the Knicks’ strongest defender vs. wing players. Chandler plans to watch extra tape on Durant.
“The way he’s playing right now, he’s one of the best players in the league,” Chandler said. “Not saying I can shut the guy down, but I definitely think I can make it tough for him.”
“Other than LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, you put Durant with Dirk [Nowitzki] and [Tim] Duncan as the next-best guys in the league,” David Lee added.
Lee was at the U.S. Olympic Team’s mini-camp for future Dream Teamers last July in Las Vegas. Though he didn’t participate because of a contract stalemate, he was an eyewitness to Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green.
“At that Olympic thing, when I saw how good Durant, Green and Westbrook were, I was surprised when I looked back and saw they only won 23 games last year,” Lee told The Post. “I thought they’d have a much better season this year and they have.”