Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Wally Szczerbiak wants to be a Knick. And if he is not offered a maximum contract extension this summer by Minnesota and becomes a restricted free agent next year, the Knicks will be No. 1 on his list.

Of course the Knicks would probably have to work out a sign-and-trade deal to get Szczerbiak, which won?t be an easy task. But, if faced with the possibility of Wally leaving without compensation, the Wolves may be willing to deal.  

GM Scott Layden loves his fundamentally sound game, shooting ability, toughness and intelligence. He broke into a big smile yesterday when told Layden has made attempts to trade for him this summer.

"It's great, man," Szczerbiak told The Post. "I can't lie. This is where I've always been drawn too, even when I went to Miami of Ohio. I always came back in summer, telling the coaches, ?Don't expect to see me at all.' It's the same way with Minnesota.

"During the summer, I want to go home to the Long Island beaches. Minnesota is where I play, but New York is always my home. I've always been a big Knick fan. They've always been a team I loved to watch as a kid. It's a very intriguing place for me to play. Playing at home would be great."

The All-Star Szczerbiak said that his agent Gary Wichard is embroiled in extension talks with McHale and - yes - he is seeking a maximum extension.

"Seeing [Shawn] Marion get it, [Baron] Davis get it, I feel like I'm there with those two guys," Szczerbiak said. "I want to be paid fairly. You look at the way I play against the Ray Allens, Sprewells, the Houstons, Michael Finleys. You stack up the numbers, I just want to be compensated accordingly."