"Marcus Camby made the transition long ago from being the mere pogo-stick leaper he was as a Knick. As his points and blocks have dipped, his basketball knowledge has increased and his rebounding remains on par with the N.B.A.'s best.

Camby, 36, is aware of the Knicks' resurgence and of what type of player they are in the market for, should they be permanently diverted from their pursuit of Carmelo Anthony.

"They have a lot of good pieces," Camby said. "I'm sure they would like to have a center so Amar'e can go back to his natural position at 4.""