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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Sunday / December 22.
  • Now that the Knicks appear ready to lock up Amar’e Stoudemire for five years, they are working on landing a point guard to run their offense.

    The franchise has reached out to Raymond Felton, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound unrestricted free agent who spent the last five seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats.

    “If you add Amar’e and you get Raymond that’s a heck of a coup,” Tony Dutt, Felton’s agent, said in a phone interview. “Raymond can definitely run a team. Just like Amar’e has [Steve] Nash you need a guy there that’s able to run a team at a high level.”

    The Knicks are on the brink of signing free agent forward Amar’e Stoudemire to a five-year, $100-million deal, Yahoo! Sports is reporting.

    If the Knicks do land Stoudemire and reunite him with former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni, it could enhance their chances of landing the ultimate free agent prize, LeBron James, since the two are known to be close.

    Yet with two max-contract free agents in the fold, the Knicks would not be able to sign a third high-profile free agent at a reduced rate.

    One of the more intriguing recruiting stories of the summer belongs to Chris Hill, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound senior wing from Jacksonville, Fla.

    Hill finished up his prep career at Raleigh (N.C.) Christian Faith Academy and is taking three summer classes through an online site run by BYU and Adams State College.

    “They’re offering all the classes I need to graduate,” Hill said by phone.

    The Knicks offered LeBron James two options during their meeting Thursday in Cleveland, according to SI.com.

    One option was a max contract for five years and $95 million that would allow the Knicks to sign one other max-contract guy, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson or Amar’e Stoudemire.

    The second option was a five-year deal starting at $11.5 million annually that would give the Knicks flexibility to sign two other big-time free agents, presumably Johnson and Stoudemire. Those players would have to agree to take $5 million less annually under such an agreement.

    The Knicks contingent included Garden chairman Jim Dolan, president Donnie Walsh, head coach Mike D’Antoni and former star Allan Houston.

    Rakeem Christmas, the No. 1 center in the Class of 2011, is now a free agent.

    As first reported here Tuesday, Christmas and his aunt, Amira Hamid, visited Rutgers earlier this week.

    Now it appears that the 6-foot-8 Christmas, who had earlier cut his list to five schools, is wide open in his recruitment.

    “His recruiting is open again. No list,” said Kevin Givens, head coach at Academy of the New Church.

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