Frank Isola first made the Donnie Walsh/Bucks connection yesterday, and he writes today that "Milwaukee is prepared to offer Walsh its GM job":
Another team - believed to be Atlanta - has also reached out to Walsh, but at this stage it is a three-team race between the Knicks, Bucks and Pacers. Indiana's co-owners, Melvin and Herbert Simon, have promised to make dramatic changes, and The News reported on Monday that the Simon brothers want to keep Walsh and fire team president Larry Bird, who yesterday reiterated that he wants to remain with the club.
It's difficult to imagine a Bronx native like Walsh turning down the Knicks if James Dolan offers him the keys to the franchise; the Bucks would have to throw a lot of money and full control of the front office, and even then that might not be enough. One thing working in the Bucks' favor is that on paper they might be an easier team to turn around, given they don't have quite the salary deadweight that the Knicks have. If they can shed some more contracts, the Knicks could however become major players in the summer of 2010 when the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade hit free agency. Is the 67-year old Walsh willing to wait that long, and how interested is he in moving from the low-key Midwest to the intense spotlight of the East Coast? Either way, the Bucks will no doubt make some move on Walsh, who interestingly wanted Mark Jackson as his coach last year when Larry Bird instead hired Jim O'Brien.
In other news, Larry Harris will address the media this afternoon and Bobby Simmons, last seen glued to the Bucks' bench, isn't mincing words about the man who put him there.
"Guys are just tired of losing.
"To be honest, we have all the pieces to the puzzle. Everyone is not playing to the best of their ability. They're not put in position in the schemes (Krystkowiak) has.
"A lot of guys can do more than jack up jump shots. That's the way the offense is structured."