The Indiana Pacers' Web site is saying that Donnie Walsh, the team's CEO and president, will leave the franchise after this season, making him a free agent.
Here's a link to the team's news release.
What this means to the Knicks will immediately be a topic of discussion.
It has been correctly reported that Pacers co-owner Herb Simon met with Walsh on Friday. Initially Simon told confidants that he did not expect to make a decision on the front office soon, but suddenly today the Pacers announced the press conference at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Today's news will have some ripple effects with the Knicks, who have had a "very preliminary" conversation with the 67-year-old Walsh about a possible opening in New York.
Larry Bird will continue in his role as the Pacers' president of basketball operations.
Now that Walsh will leave the organization after the season ends, you can expect the Walsh-to-New York talk to go into overdrive once again.
Stay tuned for more details once I get to Madison Square Garden.
Comments (14)
Great to see the fast updates, Alan!
And let the speculation get hot, Walsh is not retiring. He is either headed to the Knicks or Bucks!
Be careful of this. It could be just another sucker play to use the Knicks for a negotiation ploy like last week. If Walsh really wanted to come here, he would cut the bullcrap and come here.
Walsh is low on my list of candidates :(
1. West
2. Colangelo
3. Spurs assistant GM - insert name here _____
4. M. Jackson
5. Walsh
I guess I should be happy if it means getting rid of Isiah... I guess.
so what's your opinion... is a backdoor deal already done with this guy for the knicks or what? wouldn't surprise me a bit.
oh, and by the way... that fellow blogger who stole your "tanks a lot" line... he just reported that "Pacers owner Herb Kohl" called a press conference. are you kidding me? even i know that's just plain wrong! there is no better blog than right here my friend.
something's up. why wouldn't the pacers wait until the end of the season to do this? it had to be because another team (the knicks or the bucks) has brought him on to start doing homework for them, to evaluate their current young talent and to ready themselves for the draft.
walsh scares me because of his isiah ties. id be happier if there were stronger rumors about someone who has publically bashed isiah.
I heard that he'd bring in Billy King -- the one guy worse than Isiah.
and you guys think that things couldn't get worse?
HA!!!
Time will tell.
I'm giving Isiah another year This season was NOT his fault. We've suffered several injuries (Marbury, Crawford, Curry, Richardson, James) and lost a lot of close games. We'll be better next season and be next season's Celtics, which was a team coming off a bad season but did really well the following season.
I have confidence in Isiah and am loyal to him. I honestly believe he's the man who will get this team a championship.
Thanks to the Knicks fans for your support.
-JD
Anonymous - What are you talking about?
The Knicks have an unlikeable team with a locker room cancer, shoot-first point guard for a captain, a fat and lazy center who hasn't played in a fourth quarter since last season for a franchise "centerpiece", and a man convicted sexual harrassment for a GM/coach. They're *well* over the salary cap, and have some of the league's worst contracts. Their young players who have shown promise have regressed this season. Jerome James is on their team. Opposing players are getting standing ovations at their own arena. They have one of the league's worst records, and haven't made the playoffs in years. They're the laughing stock not just of the league, but of all of New York and all of the sports world.
So I aks ya - how can this get any worse?
Great news.
DOLAN IS AN IDIOT!
lets hope he gets it right for once in his life.
i still don't have any confidence but i can only hope that his man crush on isiah is over...
Why would you go after Walsh? We need West, Colangelo or Grunfeld. Walsh is not a proven winner in Indiana. It will be the same ole thing if he comes here. I don't have any trust in Walsh at all if he comes. Lets wait and see.
What has Donnie Walsh done to be so highly regarded? I don't get it. Did i miss the Pacer's 3-peat? Ok he has been with them since 84 and they've never won a championship; they've reached the finals once, beating the knicks to get there. In 24 years he hasn't done much. He's old and has seriously considered retirement already. Who's to say he won't quit on us? Plus he's a former Pacer. He should be a hated rival. The prospect of him running the Knicks feels incestuous. How can you welcome this guy?
P.S.:Isiah is a terrible coach but i do want him involved in the draft. Isiah is undeniably great in the draft.
P. P. S.: When's the next mailbag?