Jerry Hicks, representative for free agent center Kurt Thomas, said his client is playing now solely to win a championship and feels the Bulls are closer to that goal than the Knicks.
“Kurt thinks Chicago has the pieces to win a championship,’’ Hicks told The Post. “And that’s the only reason Kurt is still playing — to win a championship. The Bulls have those pieces. Are the Knicks there? Do they have all the pieces? I don’t know.’’
Thomas, the NBA’s oldest player at 39, had strong moments with the Bulls, who want him back. Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau was a Knicks assistant when Thomas played for the Knicks.
Desperate for a defensive center, the Knicks appear to be long shots. Thomas has spent the lockout in his hometown Dallas, where the world-champion Mavericks also may have interest in the TCU grad.
* Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul will be in Brooklyn together today, giving a basketball clinic and handing out 800 meals to Brooklyn families at a charity event to make up for the canceled Izod Center charity game, which had been set for Dec. 10. Today’s event also will benefit Anthony’s foundation.
Anthony and Paul will be joined by the Heat pair of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. The quartet’s four-city Homecoming Tour was called off because of the tentative agreement to end the lockout. Anthony and Paul have spent a lot of time together this summer, on the basketball court in charity games, in New York, even in China.
The Knicks are so sure they can land Paul with their cap space in 2012 they only are offering one-year deals now. The Knicks realize they don’t have the young pawns/draft picks to land Paul in an extend-and-trade, as their tradeable assets were shipped away in the Anthony deal. The Knicks would have been better off had the clause been taken out of the CBA, assuring Paul’s free agency. Anthony told The Post in October, “If it works out and he comes here, you’ll see a smile from ear to ear.’’
* Teams reportedly will play two preseason games against the same team, geographically based. Figure the Knicks to face the Nets.