If the season spirals away from Isiah Thomas and he is fired, one of his former bosses would be interested in replacing him.

Donnie Walsh, who is leaving the Indiana Pacers after the season to pursue another high-level front-office job, "certainly would be open" to joining the Knicks with full control over the basketball operations, someone with knowledge of his thinking said yesterday.

"It's New York, and he loves New York and he loves this league," the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Walsh, 66, has been with the Pacers for 23 years and willingly has ceded control to Larry Bird. Having played high school ball in New York City before going to North Carolina to play for Frank McGuire, Walsh would be among the most credible candidates to take over the Knicks if Thomas is unable to save his job.