In a Friday telephone interview, Donnie Walsh said there were no plans for Isiah Thomas to resume a full-time position with the Knicks.  Walsh said Thomas had initiated the discussions on returning to the team in some formal capacity.

"Isiah can help us in the areas that he?ll consult with us in," Walsh said.

"He?s a good basketball man," continued Walsh. "He will not be full time with us up at the training center. I think he wanted to be involved with us, and I think it came from Isiah to begin with."

A source with knowledge of the Knicks? strategy who was not authorized to speak said that some in the organization believe that Thomas might be able to relate to the present generation of franchise players in a way that Walsh and Mike D?Antoni cannot.

Thomas is expected to be actively involved in recruiting Carmelo Anthony to join the Knicks if he becomes a free agent next summer.

Insiders with the Knicks also told the New York Times that Thomas is not in the running to re-take control over the team's basketball operations.

"Speculative nonsense, organizational insiders are saying," writes Harvey Araton about the chatter that Thomas could eventually replace Walsh as the team's chief decision-maker.