In the meantime, check out my story on Monta Ellis in the Friday Newsday -- things could get interesting on that front -- and keep checking in on K-Berg at his blog for the latest in NBA/Knicks news over the holiday weekend.

I'll try to peek in when I can from the ol' BlackBerry.

Have a great (and safe) Fourth of July, Fixers.

Keep it poppin'!

Our Fixer buddy Ho-Beck of the NY Times on Wednesday made mention of Ellis, whom we have discussed here on the blog many times.

Did a little poking around on this one and despite interest from Ellis in playing for Mike D'Antoni and in New York, at this point I'd call it a longshot, at best. You're talking at least a five or six year deal averaging about $10 million per to start. And, of course, the Warriors would have to want something off the Knicks roster that matches. You would think they would want a point guard because with Davis and Ellis gone, they're empty in the backcourt. No match here with the Knicks, unless you can convince them that Nate Robinson can be an effective player under Don Nelson (not).

The people I talk to tell me that despite the long-term committment it would take (which doesn't help the 2010 plan), the Knicks would love to add a player like this, who would fit into D'Antoni's system well.

Though I feel Ellis and Jamal Crawford wouldn't work as a backcourt because both need the ball to be effective, I was debated on this by a couple of NBA coaches I spoke with who said Ellis-Crawford would be a "formidable" backcourt that would be difficult to guard. Crawford could actually play more of a point guard role in this scenario and have Ellis work as the scoring guard, who can get to the basket and has a great mid-range game.

It's all moot, however, because I'm told Chris Mullin isn't taking calls about Ellis. But this situation isn't over yet.

Stay tuned . . .

P.S. - Don't have official word yet on the Knicks summer league team. We know Gallinari will be there. Word is Nate wants to play again but does it really make sense? Mardy Collins needs the burn. Wilson Chandler will be on the team as well. Renaldo Balkman had better be there. Phil Weber is the coach. He's the Long Island dude who came over with D'Antoni from the Phoenix Suns' staff.

There has been enough evidence in recent months to suggest the apparent "feud" that had existed between Telfair and Marbury has diminished, but to have them in the same locker room, competing for the same job, would not be a healthy situation. Unless the Knicks are his only option, Telfair and his representatives have to believe anywhere else would be a better opportunity if the Knicks plan on keeping Marbury for the season.

Also, the Knicks are really looking for more of a playmaker-type and Telfair, while he's got a heck of a handle, is more of a one-on-one guy than he is a facilitator.

Then again, there's not much pass-first in the games of other supposed leading candidates, such as Roger Mason and Jannero Pargo. Pargo is an excellent athlete with quickness and defense, but not a floor leader with the skills to keep an offense moving. Mason isn't much of an athlete, but does see the floor well. (Yeah, previously I goofed and wrote Desmond Mason...Consider it an ID10T issue that was fixed).

Do the Knicks maybe take a chance on Jason Williams for a short-term (very short) look? Yes, his knees may be shot and yes, his defense will only get worse as a result, but the guy sees the floor as well as anyone and can pass with the best of them.

Otherwise, not much else out there as far as free agents that fit what you're looking for when it comes to passing guards.

Just bloggin'.

Last night word got out that Duhon could be ready to make a decision as early as today and was deciding between the Knicks and Magic.

There was some thought that he was interested in the Knicks because of the opportunity to win a starting role. But after reading these quotes from Duhon's agent, Kevin Bradbury, it sounds like Duhon walked away from his meeting with the Knicks unimpressed with what they had to offer and not just because the Knicks put up just a two-year deal compared to three from the Magic.

"Chris wants to help a team win a championship, that's what Orlando is trying to do," Bradbury told the Sentinel. "That's different than a team looking to rebuild."

Another line from Bradbury that could be viewed as another vieled shot at the Knicks situation regarded the role Duhon would play as backup to Jameer Nelson. "Chris just wants a well-defined role," said Bradbury, who was nowhere near as talkative when members of the New York media contacted him over the past few days.

Perhaps an indication of Duhon's lack of interest in the Knicks and that the Knicks offered no clues to him about Stephon Marbury's future with the team.

So figuring Duhon is gone to Orlando, next up among guards of interest are Jannero Pargo, Roger Mason and Chris Quinn.

And before some of you in Fixer Nation start to boil about the self-imposed two-year restriction on offers, remind yourself that we're talking about Chris Duhon, Jannero Pargo, Roger Mason and Chris Quinn. These are nice players that could help, but no one that will make or break a franchise.

Stay tuned . . .

He met with the Knicks on Tuesday and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. He was expected to have discussions with a few other teams, but two days after the opening of free agency, Duhon is ready to take an offer.

The Knicks wouldn't offer much in long-term security, but they did offer opportunity. Stephon Marbury is still on the roster and his future with the team is uncertain -- does he play out the remaining one year of his contract or do the Knicks cut ties before the season? -- so Duhon could be viewed as his replacement in the starter's role. Or he's a versatile depth player that essentially replaces Fred Jones, who is an unrestricted free agent.

The Marbury factor will hang over the team all summer until a decision is made.

If Duhon takes the Knicks offer, that doesn't necessarily end the Knicks work in free agency. Some reports suggest that Duhon was offered the full mid-level exception salary (it's expected to be just shy of $6 million per), but we believe it's more like a little more than half of the mid-level, or about $3.2 million per, which is about what Duhon made last season in Chicago.

That would leave a little more money left to spend on some other veterans who may help. Maybe a shot-blocker or low-post defender? Would $2.5 million or so be insulting to a 36-year-old Kurt Thomas? What about using a little less and take a chance on Chris Birdman Andersen?

Just bloggin'.

Of course if Duhon turns the Knicks down, it's right back to the speculation pool.

Stay tuned . . . .

The Grand Old Division is sure looking to make a comeback next season. Just look at the work either done or already in progress by your Atlantic Division foes...

Boston Celtics -- Won the NBA championship. Just a ridiculous season. Whether they have what it takes to repeat or not, they're the Kings of the Hill.

Toronto Raptors -- Added Jermaine O'Neal and if he's healthy and his head is in the right place -- Sam Mitchell is a key factor here -- JO and Chris Bosh could be a formidable duo and O'Neal makes them tougher on defense. Jose Calderon is locked up and TJ Ford is gone, so no more debates about who is running the team. Ron Artest would be a great fit here if they can swing it.

New Jersey Nets -- Dumped Richard Jefferson (dude has peaked) and picked up potential-filled young forward Yi Jianlian and unheralded Bobby Simmons. Already have a promising young point guard in Devin Harris. Added another big-man project in Brook Lopez, but also scored Chris Douglas-Roberts in the second round, which might wind up being the best of their selections.

Philadelphia 76ers -- Took a chance on Marreese Speights, a high-potential big man project, in the draft, but with tons of cap space to work with are making an aggressive play for Atlanta Hawks free agents Josh Smith and Josh Childress. Imagine that combination of athleticism along with another ridiculously gifted athlete, Andre Iguodala. The Sixers were the surprise of not just the division but the East when they easily made the playoffs. No more surprises out of Mo Cheeks' group.

Meanwhile your New York Knickerbockers are on a plan for 2010, so immediate improvements will be modest. I still think just with the regime change to Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni, you should be able to pencil in 7 to 10 more wins based on the theory that the team will have structure and accountability that did not exist under Isiah Thomas.

Just bloggin'.

A report in the LA Times said that if the Clippers were unable to land Baron Davis -- but apparently they were, as K-Berg broke the story on his blog last night -- one option Mike Dunleavy was considering involved trading for Jamal Crawford with the intention of playing him at the point.

Even better, the player coming to New York in exchange was Cuttino Mobley.

Cuttino Mobley?

Fixers, click this.

Moving Crawford right now for anything like a Mobley is stupid on many levels. First, Jamal has a chance to be an all-star in this system. Seriously. My man's arm might fall off from all the shots he'll get up in a game, but his game is made for the D'Antoni philosophy.

And if you're looking toward 2010, Jamal's relatively affordable contract (he gets $8.64 million this season) expires that summer. Actually, he can opt out of his contract after this coming season and walk away from $9.352 million in 2009-10. The Knicks could try to re-sign him or just let him go and save the cap space.

Mobley's contract also ends in 2010 and his is slightly more expensive with $9.1 million this coming season and another $9.8 mil in 2009-10.

Oh, and Mobley's game is flimsy in comparison to Crawford, who may be maddening at times with his shot selection and defensive struggles but is an ever-improving player. And with a playmaking point guard next to him -- not someone who competes for shots -- Crawford might flourish as a scorer who doesn't need to help out with point guard responsibilities.

Just bloggin'.

* *

The Knicks have yet to inquire about Monta Ellis, but they are aware he's looking for more than the mid-level. And after losing Baron, with little chance at luring Gilbert back from DC despite a reported max offer, the Warriors have to make Ellis a priority.

Ellis would welcome a full-time move to the point guard position. The Knicks could attempt a sign-and-trade to land him, but two factors work here: first, Donnie Walsh and Chris Mullin have a very close relationship. If Mully needs to move his guy, Donnie would know. Second, Ellis and Crawford are essentially the same player. While you might consider the explosive potential of an Ellis-Crawford backcourt (no one could guard them in the up-tempo game), the Knicks really need a playmaker to get everyone involved and maximize the talent.

* *

Those of you frustrated with the Knicks being stingy with the MLE and the potential that it will cause them to lose out on some free agents, let's have some perspective here. They're not being outbid for Deron Williams. It's Chris Duhon.

So it was Ken who was on top of the Baron Davis-to-the-Clippers info earlier today. And do recall in May it was your beloved blog host who first reported Davis was investigating through backchannels what kind of interest he would receive on the open market. One of the teams he checked in on was the Knicks. It was made clear through intermediaries that the Knicks were not going to be giving anyone a long-term committment.

But clearly the Clippers were interested, though, curiously, they made a major play for Beno Udrih -- Beanie YOO-drough, Mikey! Beanie YOOO-drough! -- at the stroke of midnight, but Beno stayed with Sacto. So Baron goes to Hollywood.

Well, Clipperland. It's like "Wally World" compared to Disney.

Just bloggin'.

We can confirm Chris Duhon met with the Knicks today. Got a tour of the MSG Training Center and had a good visit. Is it me or is this a lot of effort for a backup point guard?

He's off to Orlando tomorrow and so forth. As we said in the previous blog, Duhon will get the mid-level from someone, but when it comes to the Knicks he'll have to take opportunity over security. He might have a shot at being a starter, but I don't see the Knicks committing to him contractually for more than two years.

Stay tuned . . .

So much for hearing Chris Russo screaming about Beanie YOO-drogh. And on that note I officially retire that joke.

Sigh.

Chris Duhon and the Knicks seem to be on a collision course, but Duhon will explore all options. In the end it'll be a decision between length of contract or opportunity. With the Knicks, Duhon may not get more than two years, but he'll get the chance to start, which is something he hasn't done consistently since his rookie year.

Of course there's a reason for that, right?

The Knicks have to get a point guard before they can decide what to do with Stephon Marbury. The plan could be to have Duhon "backup" Marbury but get a lot of minutes at the point when Steph slides to the two and Jamal Crawford moves to the three. Yes, that's a small lineup, but Mike D'Antoni often goes with unconventional lineups and can get away with it because of the up-tempo system.

Of course what's swept under the rug here is that Marbury would remain, which is a concern to the locker room as much as it is to the fan base. It's also a major concern to Nate Robinson, who, in this scenario, would be the odd-man out, it seems. Mardy Collins even more.

Stay tuned . . .

* *

Got word that Wilson Chandler recently was cleared for workouts and is expected to participate in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The games begin July 11, but the Knicks first game isn't until the 14th...MSG Network will be there (as will your beloved blog host), so you will get all the 411 you need on Danilo Gallinari et al.

The scenario to watch is sign-and-trade (thank you, Capt. Obvious!) but even that will have some restrictions with Walsh focusing on bailing out more payroll than he takes on in the ongoing effort to be buoyant in 2010.

So for now Donnie with shrug and talk with guards such as Chris Duhon and Beno Udrih about a short-term agreement with the mid-level. Duhon would be a fool to turn it down; who else is willing to give him an open shot at a starting point guard position?

Udrih might fit best -- and wouldn't you love to hear Chris "Mad Dog" Russo butcher that name? Mikey, we're tawkin' Beanie YOO-droh! -- but a sign of the times is that someone like Udrih would actually turn down a chance to play in New York. It's a risk for Udrih and his agent to only sign for two years instead of taking a five-year offer, but there is a high reward. Two strong years in New York, and D'Antoni's system would make him look good, could net him a bigger payday down the road.

Up to the agent, Marc Cornstein. New York-based agent Marc Cornstein (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

There is plenty of competition. The Sacramento Kings would like to re-sign him and Los Angeles Clippers are said to have already made an appeal to Udrih. ESPN.com says that Clippers coach Mike Dunleavey was in New York to have a sit-down with Urdrih today about playing for the Clippers. But reports out of the Bay Area have suggested that the Clippers might already have a point guard -- an even bigger name -- lined up to replace Shaun Livingston. Hey, why else would Baron Davis walk away from $17.8 million with Golden State? The talk is he could wind up playing in his hometown and teaming with opted-out Elton Brand to make the Clips legit again (again?). Of course Brand, an unrestricted free agent, has been a target of the Miami Heat, too.

For all of you who passionately worked the Ron Artest-to-New York campaign, he picked up his option and made it clear he had no interest in the mid-level exception. Of course a trade is always possible, but I think it's fair to say it's time for this campaign to concede.

The Gilbert Arenas situation has some drama to it. The Warriors, with Davis gone and Monta Ellis generating interest as a restricted free agent, have reportedly made a max offer to Arenas, the guy they famously lost in restricted free agency all those years ago. The Kings are also believed to be in the game with a max contract.

He's gonna need to change his nickname to Agent Zeros, because he's going to have a whole lot of them on his paychecks from here on in. At least someone will be able to afford gas.

Check here and of course check K-Berg's NBA blog throughout the day and week for the latest buzz on free agency.

* *

Already hearing some very positive observations about Danilo Gallinari, who is working out at the MSG Training Center and hanging in New York. Just one thing: his nickname has never been, nor will it ever be, "the Italian Stallion," as has been suggested (more like beaten to death) by one media outlet.

Gallinari's nickname in Italy is "The Rooster," which is what his name loosely translates to in Italian. I immediately appreciated that because my family name, Hahn, loosely translates in German to Rooster, which is our family crest. Some of us Hahn boys have a tattoo of the family crest.

And Alice in Chains made a song for us...been a while since I've posted lyrics here.

Yeah, they come to snuff The Rooster
Yeah, here come The Rooster
Yeah . . .
You know he ain't gonna die
No, no, oh no, you know he ain't gonna die

While I'm at it, longtime, dedicated Fixer Chuck D sent me a download link to one of his latest projects, a group named HeetMob, out of KC, who did a little something from that NBA commerical (the one with Kevin Durant peeling off the jerseys). Click here for a listen. If you want to download it, go here.

Public Enemy is releasing a box set in August called "20 Years." It's a must-have.

* *

Final programming note: We just finished June with the second-most hits in the history of the Knicks Fix. Awesome effort by you Fixers.

Alan has the latest on the draft aftermath and the start of free agency.

Plenty of driving time to think about your reactions to the Knicks' decision to go with Gallinari instead of one of the available guards or whomever else you guys seemed to want instead. A few thoughts:

* - The Freddie Weis Factor is undeniable and understandable. That was a disaster in '99 and it was a disaster of like three regimes ago. There was no Ron Artest-type on the board that the Knicks passed up this year. I said it before, I said it last night and I'll say it again: Jerryd Bayless and Eric Gordon are one-dimensional, shoot-first guards. Bayless may have the ability to be a scoring point guard in the NBA, but Gordon, from my research over the past month, just doesn't project to be a point guard. He doesn't have the ball-handling skills or the court vision. He's an incredible shooter. Terrific. And the Knicks need shooters, but they need a lot of things and Gallinari's upside -- you should see the kid's hands...huge -- is very promising.

* - Linas Kleiza comes to mind. Remember a few months ago at the trade deadline when the Knicks were engaged in talks with the Denver Nuggets about trading Zach Randolph and they were trying to get Kleiza? Remember how stoked most of you were about adding this rugged, good-shooting Euro (yes, he played college ball in the US but still) swingman? OK, so some of the attraction was getting rid of Zach Randolph's contract, but still...Gallinari is very comparable to Kleiza on some levels -- toughness, basketball IQ, shooting -- but Gallinari projects to be better than Kleiza once he physically matures as an NBA player.

* - Walsh did try to get a guard in this draft. I heard that as the draft went on, he kept a close eye on Mario Chalmers and wanted to snare an extra pick to grab him. It just didn't happen.

* - Last but not least: as I said last night, there are some Knicks fans who love to be romanced by the Isiah Thomas drafts, but they don't want the morning-after.

Just bloggin'.

I do want to say it was fun to interact with you Fixers on the blog throughout the day. I hope you guys enjoyed what we did here and as we say here, let's "keep it poppin'" throughout this summer, which, trust me, will continue to be a busy one for your Knicks.

We've got some housekeeping to do from last night's fast-paced, dizzying NBA draft.

First, four of the five picks to start the draft are freshmen (Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love). Maybe David Stern should just scrap that one-and-done rule?

There were a mind-boggling 14 trades. A late trade, reported by Chad Ford of ESPN.com, sent O.J. Mayo from Minnesota to Memphis for Kevin Love and Mike Miller, among others. It was an eight-player deal.

Darrell Arthur, who apparently has some sort of kidney problem that scared teams away, fell all the way to New Orleans at No. 27. But wait -- the Hornets traded him to Portland, then he went to Houston and finally to Memphis. So Arthur, who was the last player in the green room, had to wait longer to find a home. He was traded three times and was a member of four teams last night.

Now, winner and losers (in no particular order).

Winners

Portland: The rice get richer. After trades, the Blazers eventually ended up with Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu. Portland had the No. 13 pick, but get a lottery player with Bayless. Diogu is a good player who was sent over from Indiana. The Blazers also drafted Joey Dorsey, before trading him to Houston. Portland also had Darrell Arthur for a short time. Imagine if Portland kept Dorsey and Arthur. Wow.

Miami: Pat Riley did a nice job after that smoke screen he threw up. The Heat got Beasley and then acquired Mario Chalmers from Minnesota. So the Heat get a power forward and potential starting point guard. Great draft.

Memphis: The Grizz end up with Mayo and Donte Greene of Syracuse. A lot of teams liked Greene, who has loads of potential. But will he stay in Memphis with Rudy Gay around? Anyhow, getting Mayo from Minnesota makes it a good night. And they shed Brian Cardinal's contract in the trade.

Nets: I wasn't sure about New Jersey after the selections of Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson in the first round. I mean the Nets acquire Yi Jianlian earlier in the day and already have Josh Boone and Sean Williams. Anderson is another power foward in the logjam. But they stole Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis with the 40th pick. Plus, they've positioned themselves for the summer of LeBron.

Losers

Minnesota: What exactly are the T-Wolves thinking? They draft O.J. Mayo to go along with Al Jefferson as a solid inside-outside combo, then trade him for Kevin Love? Doesn't Love play the same position as Jefferson? Then the T-Wolves get Mario Chalmers in the second round and trade him to Miami? Isn't this the team with Sebastian Telfair? Who's playing center? One bit of reasoning I see with Love is perhaps a trade to Charlotte. Love fits better in Charlotte with Larry Brown. Plus, the Bobcats surprisingly picked D.J. Augustin. Could Raymond Felton be headed to Minnesota?

Sacramento: What are the Kings thinking? Who's running the scouting department there? Jason Thompson from Rider at No. 12? I hope Patrick Ewing Jr., a good bargain in the second round, works out.

We'll see .....

Indiana: The Pacers were busy last night. They ended up with Brandon Rush of Kansas and Roy Hibbert of Georgetown. They could both end up being solid players.

Milwaukee: The Bucks really stockpiled a lot of small forwards yesterday -- Richard Jefferson (in Nets trade), Joe Alexander (at No. 8), and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (No. 37). We'll see where this is going.

The David Lee-to-Memphis thing probably isn't going to happen, but I've talked to a few people who said it has nothing to do with Lee killing the deal, which is what ESPN was reporting. I was skeptical of this because it's not D-Lee's style to do something like that.

I was told Lee has nothing to do with the Memphis situation not coming to fruition. It's just one scenario out of many that just might not actually happen, but was discussed.

But, I was told, the Portland Trail Blazers are very interested in making something happen with the Knicks involving Lee.....

Stay tuned . . . .