David Lee's first choice is to remain with the New York Knicks.

"This is where I want to be," Lee told The Post. "I enjoy it here. I love the city. I have a lot of friends in the franchise. I do have ties here.

"They say the two hardest things to deal with [in New York] are the media and the fans, but I've found that to be the exact opposite. Having a following here is gonna make the Knicks want to sign me more and makes me want to be in New York."

Lee of course will not be willing to accept less than a fair market value.

"We're gonna have to see what happens," Lee said. "If they get two or three of those guys, there won't be 50 cents to give to me. Winning is a huge priority. . . . Just finding a situation that fits, a situation that makes sense, quality of life factor, then also the financial side of it because this is a business."

"It's looking like a lot of these guys may stay put, but those kinds of opinions can change really quickly," Lee said. "If the Knicks are waiting on Lebron's [James] decision, that could affect their entire free agency."