Josh Selby (AP)
Nikola Vucevic (
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Thursday night’s NBA Draft is Donnie Walsh’s final at-bat. The 70-year-old outgoing Knicks president has one last chance to restock the roster ravaged by the Carmelo Anthony trade. One last swing for Walsh to put his stamp on the franchise.
Walsh steps down as president June 30 after backing out of a verbal agreement with James Dolan, feeling he didn’t have the power.
But Thursday Walsh will have the power.
Named Pacers president in 1986, Walsh has his share of draft clunkers, but he did take Reggie Miller at 11 amid a statewide furor, took a chance on former Marist center Rik Smits, landed Dale Davis and Antonio Davis in back-to-back years, drafted Chuck Person, and heisted Danny Granger at the very same position he is now — No. 17.
The Knicks need an infusion of backcourt talent and size for a roster paper-thin after the Big Apple 3 of Amar’e Stoudemire, Anthony and Chauncey Billups.
“We’re trying to get a chemistry guy,” one person familiar with the draft strategy said.
The Knicks are concerned about aging point guard Billups and don’t feel Landry Fields is a starting shooting guard on a playoff power.
According to a source, if the right player isn’t there, the Knicks have considered trading the 17th pick for a veteran guard or center. Cleveland is heavily shopping point guard Ramon Sessions, whom the Knicks pursed as a free agent three years ago.
Walsh definitely will be active in his last stand. He has designs on buying either an extra late first-rounder or second-round pick, or both — with permission to throw around Dolan’s cash. The Knicks don’t have any second-rounders, giving up two of them in the Anthony haul.
The one player Walsh prays falls to them is 6-foot-7 Washington State shooting guard Klay Thompson, who outperformed Jimmer Fredette in their June 2 Westchester workout. Thompson reminds Walsh of Miller and would be a coup at 17, but league sources think Thompson could be scooped up by Golden State at 11.
Though not a need position, forward Chris Singleton of Florida State is another prospect the Knicks hope falls to 17, as they believe he can improve their defense at the 3 and 4. A LeBron James stopper, perhaps. But he likely will be gone.
The three guys who are expected to be there at 17 the Knicks would take are Kansas point guard Josh Selby, the Baltimore product whose friends with Anthony; 6-10 USC power forward/ center Nikola Vucevic and 6-6 UCLA wing Tyler Honeycutt.
Vucevic moved ahead of Morehead State’s rebounding machine Kenneth Faried on the Knicks’ chart after the staff was disappointed at the Chicago draft combine when Faried measured in 6-6 and struggled in all offensive drills.
If the Knicks land a late first-rounder and still haven’t added a point guard, Iman Shumpert and Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins are possibilities.
Failure to draft a point guard in the 2008 draft will be part of Walsh’s draft legacy in New York. The jury is still out on the Danilo Gallinari pick at six in 2007, but the 2008 selection of power forward Jordan Hill is Walsh’s biggest faux pas.
The 2008 draft turned into a sensational point-guard feast with Brandon Jennings, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague and Erik Maynor selected afterward. All are solid contributors.
marc.berman@nypost.com
With the 17th pick, the New York Knicks select …
Klay Thompson
Washington State, SG 6-7, 205
Son of former Laker veteran Mychal Thompson, Klay is a deft shooter with a Reggie Miller build and stroke — at least in his Westchester workout, when he bagged 21 of 25 3-pointers during the drill. Thompson averaged 21.4 as a senior, and Knicks see him as starter as rookie. One concern is he was charged with marijuana possession last March. The other one: He may not be there.
Josh Selby
Kansas, PG, 6-2, 195
Quick, super-talented, but had injury-filled, disappointing season at Kansas after being rated as the No. 1 high school prospect entering college. He was declared ineligible for nine games for NCAA violations in taking benefits before signing with the Jayhawks. Big plus is Carmelo Anthony is his mentor as both are out of Baltimore.
Nikola Vucevic
USC, PF/C, 6-10, 260
Knicks are desperate for size, but he’s not the big banger out-going Knicks president Donnie Walsh craves. However, the Serbian can rebound and has a lot of offensive skill, in post and outside, with high basketball IQ on both ends. His stock rose dramatically during workouts. However, he’s not that athletic, and is a below-the-rim player.
A look back at 17
The Knicks selected No. 17 just once (1990) and did not fare well with 6-foot-10 Maryland center Jerrod Mustaf, who lasted one season. He played 62 games as a rookie, averaged 4.3 points before he and Trent Tucker were dealt to Phoenix by Pat Riley in 1991 for Xavier McDaniel.