D'Antoni Paving Way for LeBron to Go to N.Y.?

So it's D'Antoni to the Knicks, supporters and detractors are all up in arms, or confused. But is there a master plan here? Over at Newsday, Alan Hahn with some hypotheticals that will thrill and chill you. Either confirmation of conspiracy theories or proof that mountains can be moved when smart people see an opening. Yup, you guessed it: LeBron in New York:

Walsh is banking on this to be just another reason for LeBron James to seriously consider making the Garden his home if he declines a player option and becomes a free agent in 2010.

It would take a lot of payroll maneuvering in the meantime and, perhaps, some tough decisions. As the roster stands, the Knicks will have just $28 million against the cap going into the 2010-11 season. It's the perfect storm; the best player on the planet is available and the richest team in the league has cap space.

"I think those thoughts are very prominent in the front office," said a person with knowledge of the situation.

Hahn gets stuff right quite often, so heed these words. Now is this starting to make sense? This is an eyes on the prize move, designed to give the Knicks a real shot at luring LeBron over to their brand spanking new, state-of-the-art organization. Except Dolan to mysteriously disappear in a swamp. Now if only Walsh could turn James against Jay, there'd be a clear path toward basketball nirvana for all. That is, if you consider two seasons of thankless salary cap brush clearing a necessary condition for ultimate paradise.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.