"The recruitment of Marcus Camby may have already begun, judging by contraband he carried out of the Rose Garden late Wednesday. As Camby spoke to reporters, he was clutching a plastic bag containing home and away Knick uniforms.

"I've still got a lot of friends on that team," Camby said. "You can see by all the gear they gave me."

Imagine the stir LeBron James would create if he were spotted holding a Knicks uniform. Of course, the Knicks would like nothing more than to present James with orange and blue threads this summer. And they would like Camby to be one of his teammates.

The Knicks, according to sources, are expected to make a strong push to sign Camby, the one-time backup center who helped the Knicks reach the NBA Finals in 1999. Three years later, Camby was unceremoniously traded to Denver in a deal that famously backfired.

Garden chairman James Dolan, who had run out of patience with Camby and Latrell Sprewell, insisted that then-Knicks president Scott Layden make the trade. Camby's history with Dolan could present a problem even though the 36-year-old shot-blocking center believes that time heals all wounds.

"That was what, eight years ago?" Camby said. "I'm one to never burn any bridges. Its appealing going back home (Camby is from Hartford, Conn.) and going back to a city where I had a lot of great memories and a lot of great friends. Come July 1, I'll definitely give New York a look if they're interested. But I'm really happy about being here in Portland. We're in the playoffs. We have a great young team.""