If the Raptors want to eradicate Jalen Rose's $16.9 million salary next season from their cap, they have but one viable option: Furnish the Knicks with the Nuggets' No. 1 pick stashed from the Nets' shoplifting of Vince Carter, along with Rose's Canadian passport for rising free agent Penny Hardaway.

Yes, the Lakers have interest in Rose, who turns 33 on Jan. 30. That's a confirmed fact.

There might even be another team or two intrigued by the 6-8 swingman's cultured skill to score, pass and make plays. That's an unadulterated guess.

Yet, according to a know-it-all scrutinizing Rose's relocation odds, there isn't a reckless NBA owner other than James Dolan willing to burden his bulging books with a contract that would cost currently luxury-tax capsized Camp Cablevision $33.8M.

Still, as hopeless as the stammering Knicks look, and as depressed as their fans are, and as desolate as the Garden may become if their 6-18 record gets any shoddier, not even a filthy rich dunce like Dolan is going to hemorrhage that much currency for a player Isiah Thomas ran out of Indiana with Travis Best (reaping Ron Artest, Brad Miller, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie in exchange) unless the first-round pick is packaged.

Don't get me wrong; it's not as if the Raptors are uncompromising. A Toronto source reveals the pick is on the table, but not without limits: "The unanswered question is how deep into the draft will it be protected from year to year."