<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>With a sixth overall pick in the NBA draft just burning a hole in his pocket, Donnie Walsh might accelerate the process of hiring a general manager to bring in someone to help him flip this pick and some of the more unsightly parts of the Knicks roster. Mike D'Antoni has a connection with Toronto Raptors assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini, who was D'Antoni's GM when he coached Benetton Treviso in the Italian League. But the Knicks have not made contact with the Raptors for permission to interview Gherardini for the job, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Wizards executive Tommy Sheppard's name has been getting a lot of print, as well. Another name that has come up is Denver Nuggets executive Mark Warkentien, who has a brief history with D'Antoni (Portland) and has a longstanding mutual admiration with Walsh.</div> Newsday
