Knicks owner James Dolan is on the verge of announcing Donnie Walsh will be back as Knicks president for next season with an agreement all but sealed, according to multiple sources. One league source said it could be a done deal by this week.
“Jim really wants him back and the only issue left is Donnie getting assurances he’s in charge of the basketball operations,” the league source said.
According to sources, Walsh had become concerned about the increasing influence of some of Dolan’s MSG lieutenants regarding basketball matters. Walsh had taken the job three years ago with the promise he would be the head of basketball operations.
“It’s going to be resolved,” said one NBA executive who has been debriefed on the Walsh saga.
The Knicks had no official word about Walsh’s status but still have not made him available to the media for his customary postseason session, and likely will not schedule such a gathering until Walsh’s future is officially determined. Though Saturday is the deadline for the option on his final contract year, Walsh could instead sign a two-year extension, and that is what’s likely to happen.
“I think Donnie is going to be fine,” one NBA source said.
The Post reported Walsh and Dolan were to meet yesterday and today to discuss the Knicks president’s future, Mike D’Antoni’s future and the contract option for Chauncey Billups, who must be bought out by Friday’s deadline. Indications are Billups will remain a Knick.
Walsh has been concerned about the power structure in the basketball operations office. The influence of Dolan and his Garden advisers grew this season as the owner took a big role in negotiations for Carmelo Anthony in February. When Walsh was hired three years ago, he was promised complete control of all basketball-related matters.
Amar’e Stoudemire made a bold endorsement of Walsh and D’Antoni Monday, and said he believed they were “definitely” returning. The Post reported Monday Stoudemire would also lobby behind the scenes for D’Antoni.
Walsh, 70, does not want to go into retirement off a four-game sweep to the Celtics. The fact the roster has a lot of holes has invigorated the Knicks president into wanting to come back.
Walsh has a lot of work to do this offseason to build around Stoudemire, Anthony and Billups, working with no cap space and very little trade pawns, which were all shipped to Denver. Walsh’s No. 1 priority is to add a center to the roster, and there’s the issue of keeping the 2012 flexibility for when Chris Paul becomes a free agent.
Having a new administrator come in blind would be a disadvantage, because Walsh will be the one running June’s NBA Draft, where the Knicks have the 17th overall pick.
Walsh’s expected return bodes very well for D’Antoni. On Sunday, when the Celtics completed their sweep of the Knicks, Walsh told The Post, “I’m in his corner. The fact we didn’t have two of our best players out there should weigh in his favor if you think he hasn’t done a good job. It’s a very difficult situation for a coach to be in.
“Generally he’s done a good job the whole year with the disruption we had. Now this is another one. So the guy hasn’t had a full year yet. It’s been very hard. And it’s nothing he’s had control over. I had more control over the trade than he did.”
When asked about his future after Sunday’s loss, D’Antoni cracked, “You have to ask Donnie that. I kind of like myself so I couldn’t answer that honestly.” D’Antoni also has not been made available to the media since the season ended.
Dolan may not be as convinced D’Antoni is the right man to continue, especially with management having made it a priority to establish good ties with the C.A.A., the agency that handles Anthony, Paul and John Calipari. Plus, Isiah Thomas still has Dolan’s ear and sources say he does not consider D’Antoni a championship-caliber coach.
Blaming D’Antoni for the Boston sweep seems illogical, considering Billups missed the final three games and Stoudemire played those same three games with a pulled muscle in his back. With their utter lack of depth, D’Antoni brought knives to a gunfight, forced to play Roger Mason, Billy Walker, Anthony Carter and Shawne Williams major minutes against the tried-and-true Celts.