Scott Layden's plan to revamp the Knicks roster could include Celtics All-Star power forward Antoine Walker.

The Knicks and Celtics have had serious discussions in recent days concerning a deal for Walker, according to a league source.

A potential deal could include Latrell Sprewell, whose contract matches Walker's. Or Boston could be looking to cut payroll by adding several lower-salaried players, including Kurt Thomas. A third team may have to be involved in order to complete the deal.

Walker, who will turn 27 in August, has averaged 20.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in seven NBA seasons. But the 6-9 forward was severely outplayed by Kenyon Martin in the Nets' four-game second-round sweep of Boston. Walker averaged just 14 points and shot 34% in the series.

Since the Celtics' playoff exit, Walker has been the subject of several trade rumors, including one to his hometown Chicago Bulls. While Walker is a talented albeit moody player, many teams have been turned off by his contract, which calls for him to make $28 million over the next two seasons.

Sprewell is also scheduled to earn $28 million over the next two seasons, although his contract includes an opt out clause for July 2004. The Knicks have been looking to move Sprewell since last summer but have found few willing partners.

For Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins, it wasn't all about the money. When both chose to shut themselves off from further workouts with clubs and accept promises from the Celtics that they would go no lower than 16 and 20 (Perkins' advisers made the call for him), it was with the idea that money cannot always buy job satisfaction.

``Mine started like maybe a month ago,'' Banks said of the commitment process with the Celts. ``I was talking with Danny Ainge a lot - and of course my agent.

``There was a lot of deals going on about different teams, and Boston stayed really loyal to me. And that's what I'm about. I'm a loyal guy. You know, if he can commit to me, I can commit to him. It makes the process that much easier.''

Having just completed high school, Perkins didn't want to concern himself with backroom wheelings and dealings.

``I just played basketball,'' said the ample 6-foot-10 project, ``because we had a rule that my coaches handle all the business and I just play basketball. That took a lot of pressure off of me.''

By being assured a spot in the first round - and the guaranteed three-year deal that comes with it on the NBA's rookie salary scale - Perkins avoided other pressures. His representative, Bob Myers, was happy to get a handshake with the C's.

Those who believe Kedrick Brown is a ripe plaintiff for an abandonment suit against the Celtics will likely have their day in court in the coming season. Make that on court.

When Danny Ainge talked on draft night about adding three young players - mentioning Brown with draftees Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins - he wasn't just blowing smoke. The new president of basketball operations is a Kedrick Brown guy, putting him in a group of celebrity endorsers that includes Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker.

Ainge signed on after recently sharing the floor at the Celts' facility with Brown. While he spoke in fairly measured tones about the third-year swingman who has picked up more splinters than meaningful minutes, the word from inside is that Ainge was bubbly about Brown's possibilities.

``I talked with Kedrick and we went out on the court and spent 15-20 minutes going through some stuff that I'd like to see him work on,'' Ainge said. ``He was leaving town, and hopefully he'll be back and I'll have a chance to work out a lot more with him.

``I like him. I think that Kedrick has some definite skills and talents. I think he's great defensively. I think he has the ability to be a real force as a post-up player and the two positions - especially since we have great shooters in Pierce and Walker. With Antoine being able to stretch the defense, you have the ability to go down and take advantage of positing up smaller positions like 2-guard and small forward.''

There are people in NBA front offices who are unhappy with the Celtics today, which is why Red Auerbach was smiling as he left The Sports Authority Center in Waltham last night.

The Celtics' draft was, in short, an inside job.

UNLV point guard Marcus Banks and Texas high school big man Kendrick Perkins both had promises from the Celts that they would do all in their power to get them.

The fact neither worked out for another team after their sessions with the C's was disturbing to other clubs.

To be sure to get Banks, the Celtics realized they'd have to get to 13th position. So director of player personnel Leo Papile spent the last week on the phone with Memphis leader Jerry West setting up the move of 16 and 20 for 13 and 27. The Celts picked BC's Troy Bell and Duke's Dahntay Jones for the Grizzlies.

When Perkins was still on the board at 27, Papile breathed a sigh of relief.

Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown didn't waste his breath after all.

Boston College's Troy Bell and Duke's Dahntay Jones were among four prospects Brown chastised two weeks ago in a workout.

Turns out Brown provided those players with a preview of his coaching style.

But instead of trading up as Brown warned that day, the team moved down Thursday night in the NBA draft and wound up putting Bell and Jones in Grizzlies uniforms.

The Griz gave the proceedings in New York their first twist when they swapped their first-round picks (No. 13 and No. 27) for the rights to Boston's selections at 16 and 20.

Griz president of basketball operations Jerry West coveted a different player who went in the top 10. Once his bid to move up fell through, West completed the deal with Boston and grabbed "two of the five best athletes in this draft."

Boston received the draft rights to UNLV's Marcus Banks (13) and Memphis recruit Kendrick Perkins (27) from Beaumont (Texas) Ozen High.

"There wasn't a player we loved up there," West said, referring to the 13th pick. "If we waited any longer, we wouldn't have gotten (Jones) at 27. . . . We're going to take the best players, period. We took the best players at 16 and 20 - better than what we would have gotten at 13 and 27."

Chris Wallace withdrew his name from consideration for the Portland general manager job yesterday after an interview process that dragged on for almost seven weeks. During that time, the Trail Blazers hired Steve Patterson as president, and according to published reports, Ed Stefanski -- the Nets' director of scouting -- turned down the GM position in favor of a promotion with New Jersey.

''Chris was asked to stay in the process, but at this point, he felt that the job description had changed,'' said Wallace's agent, Warren LeGarie. ''The original job that he went for now has become more of a glorified player personnel director position. That's not something, at this point, that interests us. Chris was also led to believe that he would have been missed with the Celtics. Danny [Ainge] all along had said, `Look, I really don't want to lose this guy.'

''At this point, it wasn't a good fit in Portland any longer. Originally, that position was supposed to answer directly to the owner and his chief operating officer. Then, it changed and he had to answer to the business guy [Patterson]. Chris felt that he better go back to the family and wait to see if some other opportunities come up. If a situation looks comparable to the position he's had, then we're interested. At this point, he's staying put and there's nothing else in the works right now.''

For now, Wallace will remain with the Celtics as GM, though his role has diminished since Ainge was named director of basketball operations. Ainge will make the final call on the Celtics selections at Nos. 16 and No. 20 in tonight's draft.

Bryce Drew. Roshown McLeod. Ron Artest. Dion Glover. Hedo Turkoglu. Speedy Claxton. Kirk Haston. Brendan Haywood. Jiri Welsh. Kareem Rush. Those are the players selected at the No. 16 and No. 20 spots in the last five NBA drafts. Some play important roles for their teams. One no longer plays in the league. One has gained notoriety for his temper and praise for his defense. One recently earned an NBA ring.

Danny Ainge, the Celtics director of basketball operations, may have the odds figured just right. After looking at the history of players drafted at No. 16 and No. 20, he said, ''about one out of every three players becomes a successful NBA player.''

Some of the Celtics' success with their two first-round selections depends upon luck, some on the thoroughness of their scouting, and some on instinct. Once teams get past the top three picks, there is a lot of upside and uncertainty in this year's draft.

When asked who the Celtics were choosing in tonight's draft, Ainge said, ''That's a good one. I don't know. I guess it depends who's there. I'm going to take the best player. There's always a best player available. I don't see a lot of separation after the first few picks. It just depends on what your needs are and what your goals are.

''[You have to figure out] whether you're going to draft a European player you can keep overseas, a high school player you want to develop, a college player that can come in and contribute maybe in a lesser role right away. Those are all questions that I think all teams have to decide in that second tier of players.''

Technically speaking, tonight will be Danny Ainge's first official draft as the Man in Charge.

But that hardly means this is the first time he's handicapped the field, and determined who should go where. Did you think he is any different from the rest of us? He's been sharing his opinions on the draft since the day he slipped on the green and white Celtics jersey.

''I tried to get the Celtics to draft A.C. Green,'' Ainge revealed Tuesday afternoon. ''I knew A.C. He was from my hometown. I'm from Oregon, and I had seen him play a lot.''

Green, a hard-working, albeit unspectacular forward from Oregon State, was taken by the Lakers with the 23d pick of the 1985 draft. The Celtics, picking 20th, took the flashy guard, Sam Vincent, from Michigan State.

Green went on to play 16 seasons as the league's iron man, appearing in a record 1,192 consecutive games. He won three championships and established himself as one of the NBA's most respected players. Vincent flamed out in two seasons with Boston, and spent seven modest years in the league bouncing around among four teams.

How ironic that as the Celtics prepare to make a point guard a priority in tonight's NBA draft, the Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday established the annual Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard Award, honoring the ``Houdini of the Hardwood'' who led the C's to six NBA championships.

Cousy, 74, explained during a press conference at Boston College that ``a point guard is the heart and soul of a team,'' and cited the New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd as a prime example of how a superb one transforms a team and stressed ``the creation of this award is so meaningful in my life.''

``I'd love to see a Division 3 kid be the first recipient of this award,'' said Cousy, who realizes players from the bigger schools will garner more attention.

The award will recognize qualities such as leadership, passing and creating team offense. The first recipient will be named at next year's men's NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.

``Bob has a vision for this award,'' said Hall of Fame president John Doleva. ``He wants to recognize the vital importance of the position and highlight its crucial role in team success.''

The Celtics will be gazing to the NBA sky tonight in search of falling objects of their desire. With more than 30 names mentioned among the possibilities for the first 20 picks, the club is hopeful the crowded field will mean two players it likes will be on the board when picks 16 and 20 are due.

Danny Ainge spoke Tuesday about Plans A and beyond, and yesterday the Celtics' preferences came into sharper view.

While it is quite possible all three of their top point guards will be gone by 16, late talk of riders and sliders had them hoping that Marcus Banks or Reece Gaines will be available at 16. The C's had dared to even talk about Texas' T.J. Ford as his stock seemed to slip, but the thinking last night was that he'd caught his fall and was again edging into the top 10.

Banks and Gaines are very different types. The former, while prone to mistakes at times at UNLV, is the kind of push guy Ainge could use to alter the Celts' offensive modus operandi. Banks can get the ball quickly from one end of the floor to the other, and it is hoped others would try to keep up and get the club some of those elusive easy baskets.

Gaines is more of a halfcourt scorer who needs to work on his point guard skills, but he'd be tough to pass on.