Chris Broussard writes that the Knicks yesterday continued to initiate discussions with Cleveland, which drafts sixth, and were attempting to pry Andre Miller away from the Cavaliers for their seventh pick and a Knicks veteran.

Cleveland, however, appears to have better options. According to several league executives, the Los Angeles Clippers are willing to send Corey Maggette and their two first-round picks (Nos. 8 and 12) to Cleveland for Miller. The Cavaliers are pushing the Clippers to replace Maggette with either Darius Miles or Quentin Richardson. The Cavaliers could also decide to trade picks with Phoenix, which is currently in the ninth spot, in order to recoup their first-round selection next season from Phoenix.

Phoenix is one of several teams attempting to move up to the No. 5 or 6 spot. The targeted players for those clubs are power forwards Maybyner (Nen?) Hil?rio of Brazil, Chris Wilcox of Maryland, and Nikoloz Tskitishvili of the Italian League.

Most of the trade activity will start after the draft begins, and the Knicks may not know which way they will go until the clubs in front of them begin trading or selecting players. That being the case, the Knicks, who also own the 36th pick, will enter the draft with the intention of choosing a player with the seventh pick. There is a strong feeling within the organization that the club needs to maximize this pick, most likely via a trade, because it is one of the few valuable assets it has. So there is a possibility that the Knicks could draft a player and trade him.

"We'll certainly go into the draft being prepared to select at seven," Layden said. "You have to be ready. We think there'll be a player there we'll be very happy with. Having said that, if a deal comes along we'll certainly look at that."

The Knicks remain high on Wilcox, the 6-11, 225-pound sophomore, but Hil?rio may be just as high on their list. Both are incredibly athletic with great upside, but at 6-11 and 260 pounds, Hil?rio can play center as well as power forward. The Knicks also like Jared Jeffries of Indiana, a 6-11, 230-pound forward. Jeffries has been sensational in workouts, impressing teams with his varied offensive skills, athleticism and work ethic. A week after Indiana lost in the Final Four, Jeffries went to Sarasota, Fla., to bulk up his then-thin 215-pound body at the IMG Academy . Eating five meals a day, working out twice daily and taking nutritional supplements, he added 15 pounds of muscle. Jeffries, who hopes to reach 240 pounds before next season, put himself in impressive company when saying the Knicks will not be disappointed if they select him.

"I think I'll be kind of like a Dirk Nowitzki-, Lamar Odom-, Kevin Garnett-type player," Jeffries said.

He added: "I want to be somewhere where I can come in and have a chance to play right away with other great players. Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell are two of the best guards in the league. If I can add a little frontcourt help and be able to come in and contribute right away, it's great."

Jeffries was not the only player to eschew modesty. Tskitishvili boldly declared that he is sure he can be as good as Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks all-star, and Pau Gasol, the Memphis Grizzlies' rookie of the year who is from Spain.

"Gasol is from Europe, I'm from Europe, and I can do big things like him," Tskitishvili said.