Walsh return to Knicks is all up to him: sources

By BRIAN LEWIS

Last Updated: 7:09 PM, April 5, 2011

Posted: 2:26 AM, April 5, 2011

Donnie Walsh suffered through two years of having his team mocked -- mocking, he says, that was born of fear the Knicks would someday return to prominence.

As they host the Raptors tonight with a playoff berth locked up, Walsh sounded as if the Knicks are on the way to becoming the contender he set out to build.

With the option on the final year of his contract coming up April 30 for owner James Dolan to exercise, it remains to be seen if Walsh returns.

However, two league sources say they believe it is up to Walsh, 70, on whether he comes back next season.

One of those sources said money was a non-issue, but Walsh had a difficult decision to make as to whether he wanted to return or felt his work at the Garden was complete.

"My dream from Day 1 is to put this team on the path to a championship level," Walsh said.

"I don't think it's there now, but we're getting close. That's what I said I'd do in three years. That's what I've done."

Walsh had mixed feelings on gutting the team in the Carmelo Anthony deal, but his three-year rebuilding plan clearly has been a success. Dolan appeared giddy after Sunday's clincher, walking into the locker room to shake each player's hand.

"It was important for me to make the playoffs in our third year, so I felt really good about it," Walsh said.

"From a personal thing, I felt happy. Yeah, [vindicated] a bit. In my mind, we had to make the playoffs by the third year and that would validate [the plan]."

Now Walsh's work is vindicated, but is it finished? It's been a trying three years, from a cancer scare to hip surgery to two seasons of salary-cap purging that left his team the butt of jokes.

"Everybody wants to mock the Knicks because they don't want to see them get good," said Walsh. "I didn't. In Indiana, I didn't want to see the Knicks get good, because they could be good for a long time."

And that's a corner he's convinced his team has turned.

"We're on the way now, yeah. We've got a core group that can be the makings of a very good team," said Walsh, sounding like a man who could walk away content in a job well done.

His contract doesn't expire until June 30, so this month's option deadline could pass without resolution.

If he steps down, possible replacements include Mark Warkentien (hired by the Knicks as a consultant on Jan. 30), ex-Portland GM Kevin Pritchard (whose agent Warren LeGarie also represents Mike D'Antoni), and Toronto's Bryan Colangelo, who hired D'Antoni in Phoenix.

D'Antoni's future may be tied to Walsh's, but he's under contract for another year -- and wants to stay on.

"Yeah, I love what I do, I like my guys, so it's all good," the coach said.

"I'm not focused on that. Hypothetically, I'd love to. But we need to make some noise right now."

D'Antoni also downplayed LeGarie's presence at Sunday's game and yesterday's practice, where he chatted with Walsh.

Additional reporting by Marc Berman.

brian.lewis@nypost.com

NEW YORK POST is a registered tradem

If Isaiah shows face, I'd like to slap it back down to Florida where it belongs.

NYKBocker wrote:Any executive that Donnie recommends as his successor is welcome. In Donnie we trust.

Key phrase in bold.

Moonangie wrote:If Isaiah shows face, I'd like to slap it back down to Florida where it belongs.

Is Karl Malone busy these days?

crzymdups wrote:

fishmike wrote:sorry.. if he doesnt come back this is BS. Why wouldnt he come back? Why would he take 3 years to add Amare/Melo and then walk after getting the Knicks in the playoffs in a league where half the teams make it?

I think if he goes it's a combination of him being 70yrs old and wanting to be closer to his wife who is still in Indy... and probably a little bit that the Melo trade didn't go down on his terms, but Dolan's.

If you think about it gutting the roster and losing for 2 years to sign Amare and trade everything for Melo... is that so impressive? One guy only wanted to play for one team, the other wasnt getting paid by his old team.

I mean we were shooting for Lebron and Wade and ended with Melo and Amare. OK. Fine... but the real challenge will be building this team up around those two with limited assets. Any cookie cutter GM can over pay for a couple role players and win 48-50 games with MElo and Amare. A great GM will scour the draft and FA market and get us real pieces that we need to compete for a TITLE.

Like how the Celtics drafted Rondo. Like how the Spurs drafted Butler and Neil and guys like that.

crzymdups wrote:

fishmike wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

fishmike wrote:sorry.. if he doesnt come back this is BS. Why wouldnt he come back? Why would he take 3 years to add Amare/Melo and then walk after getting the Knicks in the playoffs in a league where half the teams make it?

I think if he goes it's a combination of him being 70yrs old and wanting to be closer to his wife who is still in Indy... and probably a little bit that the Melo trade didn't go down on his terms, but Dolan's.

how do you not stay 2 more years?

If you think about it gutting the roster and losing for 2 years to sign Amare and trade everything for Melo... is that so impressive? One guy only wanted to play for one team, the other wasnt getting paid by his old team.

I mean we were shooting for Lebron and Wade and ended with Melo and Amare. OK. Fine... but the real challenge will be building this team up around those two with limited assets. Any cookie cutter GM can over pay for a couple role players and win 48-50 games with MElo and Amare. A great GM will scour the draft and FA market and get us real pieces that we need to compete for a TITLE.

Like how the Celtics drafted Rondo. Like how the Spurs drafted Butler and Neil and guys like that.

Hey, I agree. But I think it comes down to whether he's more concerned with his legacy (though his overall legacy is pretty solidly established)... or he's more just had it with the Garden politics and wants to be closer to his wife. All sorts of rumors that the Pacers may want him back.

I see one of two things happening:
He leaves because this wasnt his trade, doesnt want to work for this owner, etc etc
He stays because he understands what happened is business, and after dealing with the BS part of this job now comes the more fun part. The actual building. Its a lot easier to put something together when your starting with 2 of the NBA's top 5 scorers.

OasisBU wrote:I still don't get why people think it wasn't his trade and that he is most likely leaving. The guy added two of the best players he has ever put on a roster and turned a dead franchise into a top story on espn along with an over .500 record, made the playoffs, etc.

He still needs to fill out the roster which he is more than capable of doing (if healthy). Only way he leaves is if his health isn't good - as far as I am concerned he has done an AMAZING job here and deserves all the credit in the world.

Melo wanted to play here because the work Donnie did - if we still had isiah there is no way we land Melo or Amare not to mention Mike D - so many people complain but look at how far we've come - thanks to Donnie.