We told you in yesterday's Newsday that Mike D'Antoni is not a slam-dunk to get the Bulls' coaching job and that the Knicks are still in the mix for the soon-to-be former Suns coach. Now, others are on the bandwagon, citing sources who have reiterated that James Dolan's deep pockets and Donnie Walsh's trustworthy reputation should not be ruled out as D'Antoni decides his next move.
Here is a story from ESPN.com's Marc Stein that sets up a possible bidding war between the Knicks and Bulls for D'Antoni.
D'Antoni's agent, Warren LeGarie, had been scheduled to fly from Greece to his home in San Francisco today and begin fielding offers from New York and Chicago. According to one report today, LeGarie is taking a detour to New York to meet with Walsh about the Knicks' opening. LeGarie is not averse to negotiating on the phone, but either way the Knicks will have every opportunity to wow the 2004-05 NBA coach of the year if that is their intention.
We will know as soon as today, and no later than tomorrow, whether D'Antoni is the front-runner to replace Isiah Thomas or simply a leverage pawn in D'Antoni's talks with the Bulls.
Meanwhile, Chicago GM John Paxson has let it be known that he is not going to be dragged into a bidding war with the Knicks for D'Antoni. The only thing the Knicks do better than anyone in the NBA is overpay, so you can rest assured that money is not going to keep them from getting the coach they want. At the same time, don't underestimate the power of money where D'Antoni is concerned.
I refer you to a recent interview with David Falk conducted by CNBC's Darren Rovell. Here is Falk's response to a question about the current state of the agent industry:
"There's a famous story about a bank robber," Falk said. "When they finally arrested him they said, 'You're a smart guy, why do you rob banks?' And he said, 'Well, that's where the money is.'"