NBA Insider with Ken Berger

Milwaukee – It is only appropriate that I am participating in what will go down as one of the critical moments in Knicks history from a hotel room on the 10th floor of the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee, with a view of Usinger’s Famous Sausage plant from my window. Putting together the story for you to read in Wednesday’s paper was not unlike what I imagine the sausage-making process to be.

Messy.

Here is what I can tell you after having some time to contact sources who know what is going to be announced – and what is not going to be announced – in a 1 p.m. news conference today at Madison Square Garden:

· Donnie Walsh will be introduced as the Knicks’ president of basketball operations. His contract is four years for about $20 million, plus playoff and other incentives.
· Isiah Thomas, who flew on the team charter last night to Memphis to coach the team tonight against the Grizzlies, is in for more twisting than Jason Taylor on “Dancing With the Stars.” Walsh understands that a coaching change must be made, but the details have yet to be worked out. Thomas is not likely to be relieved of his duties immediately, and his future with the team is very much up in the air. Translation: Thomas could get to experience the 40 days and 40 nights of Larry Brown first-hand.

Several sticking points had to be resolved before Walsh would agree to the parameters of the deal. In no particular order, here is what has been decided.

Walsh, 67, will oversee the basketball operations, not the business side of the Knicks. It is believed that MSG Sports president Steve Mills will remain with the organization, but Walsh insisted on reporting directly to James Dolan and no one else.

Walsh, and Walsh alone, will shape the media policy that will be carried out from now on at the Garden. It’s not entirely certain what he will put in place, but suffice it to say that he will remain as open with the media as he has been during his quarter-century career in the NBA. This is good news, because no one can succeed in the stifling, soul-sapping environment that currently exists there.

Walsh will maintain the authority to hire a general manager and coach. Former Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King and Nuggets GM Mark Warkentien are under consideration, but there could be others as well.

The fact that Dolan has agreed to give such far-ranging power to someone of Walsh’s stature is unequivocally positive for the future of this franchise. But prepare yourself for some uncomfortable moments involving Thomas’ future. Unless he quits, it appears that he is not going away in the immediate future.

Thomas’ future has always amounted to a staring contest with Dolan, who didn’t – and doesn’t – want to fire him. As was the case with Brown, Dolan doesn’t want to admit the mistake of rewarding Thomas with a four-year contract extension only 12 months ago. And he doesn’t want to be forced to pay him the $18 million or so remaining on that contract by firing him.

So Isiah will twist, it appears. The difference between he and Brown is that the Knicks will find almost no instance where Thomas did anything but what he was told. One possibility is that Dolan hopes that, by demoting Thomas, he will force him to cave in and resign. Another is that Walsh finds some role in the organization for Thomas, who may very well have talked Walsh up for the job to Dolan as a way to ingratiate himself to the new boss. We shall see.

Hopefully, that clears some things up. I can’t imagine that Usinger’s is making any sausage at this hour, but you should be happy to know that Newsday certainly is.