NBA

WALSH: LEBRON NOT ONLY OPTION

Speaking candidly on a “Knicks on Demand” video for the team’s Web site, Knicks president Donnie Walsh said he does not have all his eggs in LeBron James’ basket and his decision to make trades to get under the salary cap in 2010 was a broader philosophical move.

KNICKS BLOG

Speculation in recent weeks is King James isn’t leaving Cleveland.

“You always have a backup plan,” Walsh said from his Westchester office on the videotape, in which he answers submitted questions from fans. “I really didn’t know what the list of free agents were.

“It wasn’t like I was going after LeBron or this guy. It was just, we have to get in the free-agent market. The market in that year, I won’t have to pick all the players. The fact we’re under the cap will put you in much more flexible position and not strung out over a long period of time where you can’t do anything. That flexibility is what I’m focused on, not the who, when and where.”

A handful of Knicks fans Sunday night in Cleveland wore T-shirts that read “LeBron or Bust 2010.” Also free in 2010 will be Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson and Steve Nash, among others.

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On the video, Walsh also compared fading rookie Danilo Gallinari, who had an awful road trip, to Larry Bird for the first time.

“If he would fill his total potential, as high as he can go, I’d look for him to be a Larry Bird-type player,” Walsh said. “The package you have is similar to a Larry Bird. In order to be that, you really have to have it all. But I would never put that burden on him to be Larry Bird.”