http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/205657p-177516c.html

The "Fire Layden" chant will undoubtedly be dusted off during tonight's NBA draft inside the Theater at Madison Square Garden. It's becoming as much of a draft night tradition as overhyped prospects who never amount to anything.

"Fire Isiah" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Not yet anyway.

The Knicks under Scott Layden's watch were big players in the previous two drafts. Two years ago, Layden, the former Knicks president, orchestrated the ill-fated deal for Antonio McDyess. Last season, Layden selected forward Michael Sweetney, who is very much a part of the team's future.

Layden's successor, Isiah Thomas, is not expecting to make as much noise during his first draft as Knicks president. Thomas traded the team's first-round pick in the Stephon Marbury deal, and unless Thomas trades his way into the first round tonight, the Knicks' only pick will be the 43rd overall selection.

"When we made the trade for Marbury we assessed what we thought would potentially be first-round picks and decided to move out of the draft for Marbury," Thomas said. "The way things are kind of shaking out, I'm glad we did. If there is an opportunity to move into the first round you look at it, but you're not that necessarily enthusiastic about the player and the salary that you'd have to commit to for three years."

Both the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz own three first-round picks. The 16th overall selection originally belonged to the Knicks but was traded to the Suns, who then traded it to Utah. The Celtics and Jazz are prime candidates to trade one or two of their picks, but it's unlikely that those teams would deal with Thomas.

Celtics GM Danny Ainge is a longtime rival of Thomas' and the Knicks are still upset that Ainge help facilitate the three-team trade that sent Rasheed Wallace from Atlanta to Detroit. Utah is where Layden cut his teeth as an executive and the Jazz did not appreciate the way the Knicks unceremoniously dumped one of its own.

The Knicks' best chance of upgrading the roster is through good old-fashioned trades or free agency. Kurt Thomas, Frank Williams, Dikembe Mutombo and Othella Harrington have value and/or reasonable contracts that have attracted interest around the league. Thomas has his eye on Sacramento forward Chris Webber and Dallas' Antoine Walker. Getting either player will be no easy feat.

"I'm still a little unsure of our team because without having the luxury of seeing Allan (Houston), Tim (Thomas) and Steph play together, I'm standing here being honest with you, I still don't know quite yet what we have," Thomas said. "We made the playoffs. When those three were out on the floor you saw some sparks. But you don't know. We don't know if it's good or if it's bad, the jury is still kind of out on it in my mind, so trying to add the right pieces to that kind of unknown is a little tricky right now."

Don't take this as an attack or anything, but what's the point of reprinting articles that are already linked to the site on the front page. Aren't we all supposed to assume that anyone who is on this page has already read the articles on the previous page? Again, I'm not attacking, just asking an honest question. When I come here, I generally assume everyone here is a die hard fan who reads the articles and then comes here to discuss them, having digested the articles and ready to use them, their knowledge of knicks history and of the sport and the league to discuss. Is that not the case? And if they haven't read the articles, it means they chose not to, because they came through the first page where the article was already linked. Seems like continually falling back in a marathon to help a guy who keeps stabbing himself in the legs with a railroad spike. no?

Not to enter the argument or even be relevant to the ongoing conversation, but I'll take this opportunity to tell Martin and Andrew just how much I appreciate the great service they provide by linking all the Knicks related articles to this site. This site is a daily stop for me.

Not at all TMS. The articles they post on the front page are meant to be discussed here...

getting back on topic, what do you guys think about the Knicks chances of getting a pick from Boston or Utah? do you believe this article to be true, that there's no chance of it happening? if Isiah can somehow get that pick back from Utah that they gave up in the Marbury deal, it would be a coup of sorts...we'd have basically gotten Marbury & Penny for a gimpy McDyess, an unknown w/upside in Lampe, a wasted pick in Milos, cap relief in Ward, & have also unloaded a horrible contract in Eisley to boot (combined w/the player you traded to get back the 1st round pick)...the future protected pick we also gave up in that deal would be alot easier to swallow if we didn't have to lose this year's as well.

I think we could get a pick from Utah for Kurt or Nazr or even Harrington straight up but I think Isiah thinks he can do better. Thats probably the reasoning behind the rumor of moving the #2 pick also... when he had these guys in for workouts theres a good chance he sees them and think he would rather just have Dermaar Johnson.

Posted by fishmike:

I think we could get a pick from Utah for Kurt or Nazr or even Harrington straight up but I think Isiah thinks he can do better. Thats probably the reasoning behind the rumor of moving the #2 pick also... when he had these guys in for workouts theres a good chance he sees them and think he would rather just have Dermaar Johnson.

its not a foregone conclusion that we can get dermaar. we have 13 guaranteed contracts and his isn't one. we can only really get him if someone else doesn't offer him more than the lle. plenty of teams can and might offer him more. i'm a fan of dermar and would love it if he were in a knick uniform next year, but i think its 50/50 at best.