PHILADELPHIA — Though Mike D’Antoni avidly supports team president Donnie Walsh behind the scenes, the Knicks coach publicly looked to distance himself from the current contract impasse between Walsh and Knicks owner James Dolan, as Isiah Thomas looms in the background.
In fact, The Post has learned Walsh has asked D’Antoni not to speak about the situation to the media, because he doesn’t want him to misspeak or get in any trouble.
Dolan has yet to move on Walsh’s contract option for next season, with the April 30 deadline beginning to become a factor. It seems everyone in basketball thinks Walsh deserves to come back next season – except their contrarian owner. The Post reported yesterday that Dolan is stuck on the issue because he still has Thomas on his radar.
“Not on edge, not wondering [about Walsh’s uncertain status],” D’Antoni said before the Knicks’ 100-98 loss to the Sixers last night. “This is a business. There’s rumors about everything. Rumors about trades. You can’t start worrying about everything. That’s the way the NBA is. You just ride along with it. You control what you can control. That’s what I put my efforts into. You can’t let it affect you. I don’t spend any time worrying about it.”
When pressed, a cautious D’Antoni added, “I feel Donnie has done everything he can do. But I don’t have opinions. I’ve got to focus on what I’m doing. I’m not an opinion-maker. You guys [in the media] do that.”
D’Antoni has one season remaining on his contract. If Walsh does not return, there’s no telling if D’Antoni will either, especially if Thomas is part of the decision-making process. When Thomas stayed on as Walsh’s special advisor after being fired in 2008, D’Antoni never consulted with Thomas, a source said.
*
MSG president Scott O’Neil
, not Walsh, was the one to push Dolan into hiring former Nuggets general manager Mark Warkentien
, The Post has learned. The official announcement on Warkentien’s hire is likely to come today.
Despite his title, O’Neil is not part of basketball operations and is supposed to run the marketing end of the franchise. But, according to an NBA source, O’Neil pushed for Warkentien’s hire because he feels it is important for the Knicks to do business with CAA, the agency that represents potential free agents Carmelo Anthony
and Chris Paul
.
CAA’s William Wesley
now represents Warkentien, who had a good relationship with Anthony in Denver. Wesley also has Anthony’s ear on his future destination. Walsh claims he made the call on Warkentien.
