By MARC BERMAN

The deadline is over and the Knicks helped their playoff push and made it easier to let Nate Robinson walk this summer.

Indeed, Donnie was ready for action. Although Larry Hughes became a non-entity in Chicago, he is a good fit in Mike D’Antoni’s system, is a very nice perimeter shooter and slasher despite his low shooting percentage.

I hope he gets playing time over unreliable, out of shape Quentin Richardson. Chris Wilcox, whom the Knicks almost drafted five years ago, is a good frontcourt piece off the bench. I’d rather have him in a rotation over Tim Thomas.

The Knicks gave up all dead wood in the two deals – Malik Rose, Tim Thomas, Jerome James and Anthony Roberson, a waste of a signing. They didn’t add payroll either or effect the 2010 situation one way or another. Eddy Curry is still a Knick.

When Cuttino Mobley failed his physical and Stephon Marbury declined Mike D’Antoni’s offer to become their starting shooting guard the rest of the season on Thanksgiving Eve, they had a 2-guard vacuum. Q did not fill it.

Hughes, although erratic, has another year left on his contract and gets them through till 2010. He’s a guy who can take the big shot in the clutch. Donnie Walsh said something interesting two days ago. That he felt the team was playing as hard as they could, just not well enough every night. The message was they were getting the most out of their talent. Now they have more talent than this morning.

As for David Lee, I’d like to see a team give him $10 million a year this summer in this economy. He’s still a role player, no matter the numbers. Stars win games in the final minutes.

The Knicks now have two open roster spots to sign a D-Leaguer to try to develop. Patrick Ewing Jr., I’m told, hasn’t impressed in Reno. Marbury? The Knicks don’t have to do a thing unless they want to save $1.4M by March 1. The minutes that Hughes gets now would’ve been Marbury’s if he was able to move past everything and realize things change in the NBA in a heartbeat. Just ask Jamal.