Former Knicks guard Allan Houston will play a role in the team's pursuit of free agents like LeBron James this summer.

"I want them to have the potential to experience what I've experienced and take advantage of this place, the market, the people, the fans, the brand," said Houston, who is New York's assistant to the president of basketball operations. "That's my goal."

Knicks president Donnie Walsh thinks Houston has the chops to run a team one day.

"He's been through it," said Walsh ? who also said, "I have a plan to develop Allan as a guy that can be a general manager," but insisted that doesn't mean Houston is the next general manager of the Knicks.