The grand prize is high school phenom LeBron James, and the consolation prizes -- Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse and Yugoslavian center Darko Milicic -- aren't bad, either.

Scott Layden hopes he can get one of them, but the Knicks president is more realistic than the average fan who dials into radio chat shows.

That doesn't mean he expects to come away disappointed tonight, when the NBA stages its annual draft lottery at NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus. The Knicks have only a 1.5 percent chance of landing the first pick, a 1.8 percent chance of getting the second pick, and a 2.1 percent chance of getting the No. 3 slot. But their boss vows not to sulk if the Knicks finish out of the top three.

"Everyone talks so much about the first three picks," Layden said in a conference call yesterday. "But we believe this is a deep draft. It reminds me a lot of 1982 -- there were three dominant players in that one. But if you go on, there are many good ones thereafter that can help a team. Each draft has its own character and makeup, but this appears to be a deep draft. And I think most people would say that."