Now that the entire staff of New York has weighed in, the Knicks can feel comfortable about having heard all viewpoints on whether or not to sign Allen Iverson. (You’re welcome, Knicks.) After around 6 p.m. tonight, when Iverson clears waivers, they’ll officially make a decision. They’re clearly leaning toward “yes, please.”
The Times had the scoop yesterday afternoon: They’re probably gonna give this a try.
A person with close ties to the team put it in stronger terms: “It’s a given,” said the person, who requested anonymity because he was discussing private deliberations. “They’re going to make the biggest play for him.”
It would seem that the Knicks would have to be the ones making the biggest play for Iverson, because no one else is interested. But wait: A source “close to Iverson” tells the Daily News that the Miami Heat want Iverson as well. We find that doubtful.
Much of this appears to have come down to Knicks president Donnie Walsh wanting to keep coach Mike D’Antoni alive and sane. If D’Antoni wanted Iverson as a toy, to distract him from the mess his team has become, Walsh decided it wouldn’t hurt to get him the gift. But still: They haven’t signed Iverson yet. We might know tonight.
By the way, the Knicks beat the Pacers last night to raise their record to 2–9. Eddy Curry played well (really), Al Harrington scored thirteen fourth-quarter points, and D’Antoni joked “Break up the Knicks” afterward. So that happened.