Kenny Smith is looking to make the move from the TNT studio to the highly volatile world of the Knicks' front office, while Larry Brown could resurface in Charlotte.

According to a league source, Smith is scheduled to interview this week with Knicks president Donnie Walsh about becoming the team's new general manager. Smith has no previous front-office experience, but for years has expressed a desire to run a club.

Smith, who attended Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens and like Walsh is a graduate of North Carolina, has been more visible around Madison Square Garden in recent years while working as a part-time analyst on MSG Network, and has a close relationship with Garden president Steve Mills. Smith's main job is as an analyst on TNT's popular studio show, having worked alongside Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson since 1998.

Smith will be one of many candidates interviewed for the position currently held by Glen Grunwald, who was hired by Isiah Thomas. Former Sixers GM Billy King and former Pistons and Sonics GM Rick Sund are both expected to meet with Walsh, who is not ruling out retaining Grunwald.

At the very least, Grunwald and the rest of the scouting department figure to remain in place until the draft in June.

"He's been working here all year," Walsh said recently of Grunwald. "The next big moment is the draft. They're gonna be here and I feel like I have confidence in Glen as far as heading up that."

Walsh is currently in the process of finding a head coach. He met with Mark Jackson in Phoenix on Friday and Jackson appears to be the leading candidate for the job. Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau is also highly thought of, but Boston may not grant him permission to interview until after the playoffs.

Smith and Jackson have a long history dating back to their days as New York City point guards. It was Smith who sat next to Jackson during the 1987 draft when the Knicks selected Jackson with the 18thpick. Smith was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the sixth pick. Smith also has a history with the Knicks; he was on the Rockets team that defeated them in the 1994 NBA Finals.

Walsh has demonstrated a willingness to hire a coach without previous experience, having hired both Larry Bird and Thomas at Indiana. The fact that he'll interview Smith shows that he is willing to do the same in the front office. Smith could serve an apprenticeship under the 67-year-old Walsh since Walsh will be heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the franchise for at least the next three years.

Walsh has said that his top priority is to hire a head coach - preferably before the draft - before turning his attention to the front office. Smith, who resides in Los Angeles, was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Walsh's longtime friend Larry Brown will not be involved in the interview process with the Knicks, but Brown could be back in the league next season. Brown is emerging as a leading candidate to replace Sam Vincent, who was fired yesterday by the Charlotte Bobcats. One day earlier, Brown resigned his executive position with the Sixers.

"It's a perfect fit," said a person who has worked with Brown. "Charlotte would have been better off hiring Larry last year. They have a young team that needs guidance."

Brown has been out of coaching since the Knicks fired him two years ago after a 23-59 season. Brown would be willing to return to college, but his first choice is the NBA. He also has been mentioned as a candidate for the Chicago Bulls' vacancy.

I've long been a proponent of giving Greg Anthony a shot so I have no problem with giving Smith a look. I like the idea of bringing in young minds who may think outside of the box or bring a different perspective on how to build a club.

The game is different, and I think a young mind paired with the tuteledge of Walsh would be a good match. Enough of these recycled GM's.

Kenny gave us nothing but corporate speak as an analyst. If I hear him tell me the players don't "trust" each other enough one more time my head will explode. His hollow rhetoric would start sounding like Isiah all too soon.

Smith does a decent job on tnt, but listening to him broadcast he makes generalizations about players and pretends he actually knows something about them. If your job is to watch basketball for a living you really should have something to bring to the table as an analyst.

There are people that can teach you things about the game, but don't have the right tools to put together a team......Smith falls in that category.

Jordan, Isiah, McChale. These guys are some inept is ****ing pathetic, and they were some of the best players the league has ever seen.

Blueseats said it best, Having him as GM would be another Dolan pawn all over again.

Posted by EnySpree:

Greg Anthony strikes me as a great candidate for GM.........Steve Kerr had no experience yet came right in and traded for Shaq.

Steven A. Smith should get a shot too! Lol.

I agree with the whole new age thinker type. Knicks need some new ideas and needs the GM to be aware of the climate of nYC BASKETBALL and understand the real pain of the fans.

And how exactly is that deal looking today!

Posted by BlueSeats:

Kenny gave us nothing but corporate speak as an analyst. If I hear him tell me the players don't "trust" each other enough one more time my head will explode. His hollow rhetoric would start sounding like Isiah all too soon.

Or "You can't make a player be what he's not, you have to capitalize on what he does well"...This was said by him constantly when Breen would discuss how Curry needed to improve his big man defense.

No Jet, please. Please.

Posted by TrueBlue:

Posted by BlueSeats:

Kenny gave us nothing but corporate speak as an analyst. If I hear him tell me the players don't "trust" each other enough one more time my head will explode. His hollow rhetoric would start sounding like Isiah all too soon.

Or "You can't make a player be what he's not, you have to capitalize on what he does well"...This was said by him constantly when Breen would discuss how Curry needed to improve his big man defense.

Reminds me of what they always say about John Madden where he makes even the most normal, arcane, basic ideas and make them sound like he is teaching you the advanced physics in the art of football.

Posted by joec32033:

Posted by TrueBlue:

Posted by BlueSeats:

Kenny gave us nothing but corporate speak as an analyst. If I hear him tell me the players don't "trust" each other enough one more time my head will explode. His hollow rhetoric would start sounding like Isiah all too soon.

Or "You can't make a player be what he's not, you have to capitalize on what he does well"...This was said by him constantly when Breen would discuss how Curry needed to improve his big man defense.

Reminds me of what they always say about John Madden where he makes even the most normal, arcane, basic ideas and make them sound like he is teaching you the advanced physics in the art of football.

You mean like this?

We can interview Kenny Smith as GM but not Patrick Ewing as an assistant?