Don’t say goodbye to Yao Ming just yet. After the NBA lottery presented the Knicks with the No. 7 pick, GM Scott Layden said he would attempt to swap picks with the Rockets to vault to No. 1 for the June 26th draft.

However, at No. 7, the Knicks likely will have to choose among players such as Memphis’ Dajuan Wagner, Maryland’s Chris Wilcox, UConn’s Caron Butler and three college centers who need outstanding workouts to convince the Knicks they are worthy.

According to assistant GM Jeff Nix, Stanford’s Curtis Borchardt, Western Kentucky’s Chris Marcus and even Fresno State’s Melvin Ely will be pivots considered by the Knicks, who will begin working players out tomorrow.

But unless Layden is willing to part with Latrell Sprewell, they likely won’t have a chance at the big 7-foot-5 Shanghai Shark.

The Rockets, with guard Steve Francis representing them on the Secaucas dais, are in need of a center and in no need for Duke point guard Jason Williams. As such, Yao appears as elusive to the Knicks as his country’s communist government.

The only silver lining is that the Rockets also need a small forward (read Sprewell), with Glen Rice’s career on the serious decline. In fact, the Knicks might have to take back Rice in such a blockbuster.

“We’re going to look at every possibility to improve the team,” Layden said. “Other teams have to participate in that sort of activity, but trades are always an option. There will be a lot of opportunities with a good pick like this.

“We’re focused on picking a player, but it could be much more than that. It’s a hard question when you are talking about what it would take to move up. It’s quality pick but we’re still open to options.”

Also on the plus side for the Knicks is the Rockets haven’t done serious research into the obstacles presented by the Chinese government.

“There’s definitely a risk to taking him,” said Nix, who visited China.

Rockets GM Carroll Dawson, back in Houston said last night, “My phone’s been ringing like crazy.”

Layden came into the lottery seeded seventh and wound up seventh, poker-faced on the dais for the whole show. The Knicks could fall no worse than 10th, and had an 85 percent chance of picking 7-10.

“We could easily have lost ground so you look at it positively,” Layden said. “We didn’t hurt ourselves today. The draft has the potential to beyond seven.”

Indeed, Don Chaney added “We feel comfortable at seven. Ten would’ve been treading water a bit.”

The Grizzlies could scoop up Memphis’ college hero Wagner at five, so Wilcox or Butler could fall. Wagner wouldn’t be a bad prize either despite the debate if he can play the point.

“He’s a terrific player, a great player,” Layden said. “He’s a guy whose going to be a lottery pick and a very talented one. We’ve watched a lot of film on him and seen him play a lot.”

NBA draft

How they will pick in the June 26th NBA Draft:

1. Houston

2. Chicago

3. Golden State

4. Memphis

5. Denver

6. Cleveland

7. Knicks

8. L.A. Clippers (from Atlanta)

9. Phoenix

10. Miami

11. Washington

12. L.A. Clippers

13. Milwaukee

14. Indiana

15. Houston (from Toronto)

16. Philadelphia

17. Charlotte

18. Orlando

19. Utah

20. Toronto (from Seattle via Knicks)

21. Portland

22. Phoenix (from Boston)

23. Detroit

24. New Jersey

25. Denver (from Dallas)

26. San Antonio

27. L.A. Lakers

28. Sacramento

* Minnesota lost first-round pick due to illegal Joe Smith contract