Isiah is always in the news these days, whether dealing with potential free agents, or this time, former superstars. Apparently Thomas has spoken to Patrick Patrick Ewing recently about returning to the franchise where Ewing carved out a Hall of Fame career. Ewing is under contract with the Houston Rockets an as assistant coach on Jeff Van Gundy's staff.

In fact, a person close to Ewing said the former Knicks center would consider only a coaching position with the club. Ewing approached the Knicks two years ago about the possibility of returning, but the organization informed him that it didn't have any positions open. Ewing then took an assistant job with the Washington Wizards before reuniting with Van Gundy and former Knicks assistants Tom Thibodeau, Steve Clifford and Andy Greer in Houston.

During that the time, the Knicks have hired more than a dozen new coaches, scouts and front-office executives without offering a job to Ewing. Thomas met informally with Ewing at the predraft camp in Chicago two weeks ago and had preliminary discussions about him coming back to New York.

Ewing still owns a home in the New York area and would prefer to be closer to his family. One of his best friends is Knicks assistant coach Herb Williams. John Starks, another one of Ewing's close friends, is a part-time analyst for MSG Network and is said to be under consideration to replace Reed if he does leave. The Knicks are also considering creating a position for Earl Monroe, who broadcasts about 10 games a year on the Knicks radio network.