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Canaan to be first college guard to work out for Knicks

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Social Links for Marc Berman
Published June 5, 2013, 4:00 a.m. ET

When Murray State point guard Isaiah Canaan rolls into the Knicks practice facility Wednesday, he may as well see a “Help wanted: Point guard’’ sign in the window.

Two days after Jason Kidd’s retirement, the Knicks will hold their first pre-draft workouts. They select No. 24 in the June 27 draft and feel there is enough talent in a deep draft to land a rotation player, preferably a point guard.

The Knicks have no assurance they can re-sign free agent Pablo Prigioni. Raymond Felton is best when he starts in a backcourt with a playmaker. (Chris Smith, J.R. Smith’s brother, is expected to make the roster but is not rotation-ready).

Canaan is the first point guard of note to perform before general manager Glen Grunwald and the Knicks scouts. The last time the club had a first-round pick, it stole Iman Shumpert with the 17th pick in 2011.

Another notable on the docket today is 7-foot rebounding center A.J. Matthews, the Brooklyn product from Division III Farmingdale State who is seen as a project but could go in the second round.

The 6-foot Canaan is projected as a late first-round/early second-round pick, after averaging 21.8 points and 4.3 assists as a senior.

“He’s a strong kid, streaky but a good shooter, great range and creates his own shot off the dribble,’’ one Western Conference scout said. “He’s still learning the nuances of playing point guard because he has played shooting guard a couple of years ago.’’

An Eastern Conference scout said of Canaan, “He’s an excellent leader, very vocal. He’s a scorer, but somewhat undersized and an average athlete.’’

The Knicks hope Miami’s Shane Larkin falls to 24, but that’s unlikely and Larkin’s agent, Happy Walters, won’t permit him to work out for the Knicks. Three other point guards in the No. 24 range are Erick Green of Virginia Tech, Nate Wolters of South Dakota State and combo guard Tim Hardaway Jr. of Michigan.

***Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, who will broadcast the NBA Finals for ABC, said of Kidd’s retirement: “I don’t know if you’re ever surprised that a 40-”‘year-”‘old retires. You know it’s coming at some point. But I thought Kidd, his ability to age, was remarkable. In a backcourt position, to take on a microfracture surgery, play heavy minutes, 40 years old, and sort of change his game from a blur in the open court to more of a two-”‘guard type who defended twos and multiple positions, I just love the way he handled his evolvement throughout his career.’’

***Syracuse guard Brandon Triche, Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas, Ole Miss forward Murphy Holloway (drafted in April by the NFL’s Ravens) and forward Norvel Pelle, a former St. John’s recruit who never made it to school because of academic woes, also will work out today.