In a deal that has a fair amount of sentimental value, the Knicks just landed Patrick Ewing Jr. in a swap with the Houston Rockets.

Won’t his dad be jealous.

Ewing Jr. was drafted in the second round by the Sacramento Kings and was then sent to Houston in the Ron Artest trade. He’s a 6-foot-8 forward who earned Big East Sixth-Man-of-the-Year honors last season, averaging 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds a game at Georgetown. He is an intangible asset to any team.

Here’s a good father-and-son piece from earlier in the summer.

The 24-year-old was here during the glory days. I remember him coming to practice at SUNY Purchase and going one-on-one with Marcus Camby, which makes me feel a little older. He really seemed to enjoy the court time. And from what I’ve seen over the years, still does. I don’t know whether Ewing Jr. is guaranteed a roster spot, but the Knicks could use somebody like that on the end of the bench.

“Coming to the Knicks, and hopefully being able to contribute, means a lot to me,” he said in a statement. “It has always been my dream to play for this team. My goal is to show the coaches that I can play and do all that I can to help the team win some games.”

Do you suppose dad will let the little big man wear No. 33?

I know Donnie Walsh thought highly enough of Ewing Jr. to fish around for a second-round pick, so maybe there is a place for him in New York. This also might be an opportunity to finally used the NBA Developmental League. It’s a great place for a very athletic big man to develop a consistent jump shot.

And the cost? Can you believe the draft rights to Frederic Weis? In other words, the Knicks owe Houston a favor.

“Patrick Ewing will have an opportunity here to compete for a spot on our roster,” Walsh said in a statement. “He is a solid defensive player and a very good athlete.”

Another week. Another rumor.

I’m getting e-mail after e-mail containing trade proposals from the fans who are taking whatever information shows up in cyberspace and concocting different ways of getting Zach Randolph on his way. The creativity should be commended, but I wouldn’t invest a lot of time on your preferred trade checker.

This is a process.

Randolph is a gym rat by nature and we’ve heard that he’s working out hard. Maybe it’s better to wait. No matter what he does in th gym, Randolph isn’t going to come in with a new body. The genes are well-rounded, but the perennially productive forward might come in with an open mind.

Let his value go up.

Say he comes into camp ready to run and is given an opportunity to find a niche in the system Mike D’Antoni is preparing to install next month. The numbers might go up from last season. What might Randolph be worth as the league’s trade deadline approaches?

There is no reason to be in a rush.

And the contract doesn’t look so ridiculous in February. Randolph has two years and $33 million left after this season. The problem is, the Knicks aren’t the only team in the league working to get under the cap by the summer of 2010. The solution is, a playoff team looking for scoring help might overlook the issue seeking to win right now. It’s widely known that Randolph is a better player on a winning team.

When you get a minute today, go to the Suns website and check out the interview with Amare Stoudemire, who indirectly takes a shot at D’Antoni.

“I love Terry Porter,” he says in response to a question about the new Phoenix coach. “His method. His way of coaching is going to be great for us. You know, he’s extremely focused on the defensive end, something that we haven’t practiced at all in the previous three years, and now we’re definitely practicing and improving on the defensive end.”

Zing.

That may be true, but it’s a little harsh from a player who’s never had much of a reputation for raising a hand on the defensive end.

Did you read what Stephon Marbury is up to?

Please, take minute and check out Page 6 in the New York Post. A private jet? He’s laying down $45 million for a private jet? Michael Jordan is the only former NBA star I can think of who can justify the expense. That’s a seriously pricey toy.

How about the headline … Ya gettin’ in the jet?

I can’t stop laughing. I also can’t help wondering how things might’ve turned out had Marbury purchased a plane before last season. What if he and Thomas flew separately to Phoenix?

Joking. Joking.

Anyway, since we’ve got some time, let’s start inventing our own potential headlines. Here’s what I’ve got off the top of my head:

MSG to Steph: Fly away!

Lifestyles of the rich and hopeless

Fire away.

I doubt there’s a line forming at the MSG box office to get preseason tickets.

The schedule was released today and looks very much like it has in seasons past. You’re going to get a heavy dose of the Celtics, Sixers and Nets.

I am kind of surprised all of the games will be played in the big arenas. Staying local in the preseason is a smart way to cut the cost of unnecessary travel. I just always thought playing these games in places like Scranton and Binghamton was good for the league.

Anyway, here’s the schedule:

Oct. 8 vs. Toronto Raptors, Air Canada Centre, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Wachovia Center, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, MSG, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 vs. Boston Celtics, TD Banknorth Garden, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 20 vs. New Jersey Nets, IZOD Center, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 vs. Boston Celtics MSG, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 24 vs. New Jersey Nets MSG, 7:30 p.m.

Now that we have that information, it’s time for the countdown to begin. Labor Day is coming and it’ll be time for training camp before we know it. Here’s what I want to keep an eye on … how many players will show their excitement about the new regime by showing up in September and going to work early?

David Lee has been showing up at the MSG Training Center every once in a while. Nate Robinson is back in the neighborhood, as well. Now who’s going to join them for an evening run?

Stay tuned.

Has anybody been watching Team USA waltzing along? Do you think Chris Bosh is enjoying a coming out? Could he be the player who makes Eddy Curry a legitimate All-Star?

Quit laughing.

I’m almost serious here. We know Curry is never going to be a cornerstone. He’s more comfortable playing second fiddle, and there were some moments two seasons ago when the middleman appeared to be on the brink of hitting the big time. The guy causes serious matchup problems for a number of teams.

Bosh seems to like the attention he’s gotten in the last couple of seasons, and is playing well on the world’s stage. He is also in the free agent class of 2010, and could be a heck of a consolation prize if Lebron James decides the Knicks aren’t worth saving. Bosh has the kind of game that would fit in well alongside what’s already here.

He even plays a little defense.

Think ahead a little. Do you like Bosh and Curry on the front line with the likes of Danilo Gallinari and Jamal Crawford on the perimeter. A solid point guard is the final piece. Nate Robinson and David Lee could be the top reserves. It sounds like a start?

And in the mean time …

How about trading Zach Randolph straight up to Cleveland for Ben Wallace? He comes off the books in two years, which fits the plan. And we all know how Curry plays better when he’s angry. Wallace is known to induce bad moods. Let them go head-to-head in practice and maybe some of the attitude will rub off.

Thoughts?

While he grew up a Chicago Bulls fan, Ben Gordon is no longer willing to pledge his allegiance.

The restricted free agent has asked Raymond Brothers to explore the possibility of a sign-and-trade with a number of teams. He isn’t likely to come home for a two-year deal. The productive Mt. Vernon native is looking to secure a long-term contract, and would prefer not to wait.

Gordon wants no part of a $6.4 million qualifying offer to play next season.

A lot of perspective was provided on Friday before a bowling fund raiser in Yonkers he was hosting on behalf of the Ben Gordon New Life Foundation. Here’s part of the interview:

Q: What’s the latest with the Bulls?
BG: Right now I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on. Negotiations have kind of been at a stalemate, so I’m just trying to work through other options, sign-and-trade possibilities and things like that. Hopefully, pretty soon there will be some closure to the situation.

Q: So your agent has talked with other teams?
BG: Definitely.

Q: How likely do you think it is you will be playing elsewhere next season?
BG: “I think it’s very likely at this point. Both sides haven’t been able to come to a common ground yet, so unless something changes, a sign-and-trade is probably the most probable thing.”

Q: So you’ve played last game for Chicago?
BG: “Yeah, I guess that’s safe to say, yeah. It it what it is. It’s part of the business. I think one of the issues I had to deal with coming into the NBA was realizing how much of a business it is.”

Q: So you really don’t think you’ll be back in Chicago next season?
BG: “I don’t know. I doubt it. Unless something changes with the negotiations, but I really don’t see that happening right now.”

Q: You won’t take the qualifying offer and wait a season to become an unrestricted free agent?
BG: “I’m definitely not taking that. I’m definitely not taking it. I’ve already expressed that to them. I mean, that’s not an option.”

Q: They have so many guards, is moving on creating a better situation?
BG: “Definitely. I think last season, I think I was one of the players that suffered the most on the team because at the trade deadline we brought in even more guards and I seen my minutes drop. And there really was no merit for that. I really don’t understand why my minutes dropped. This year, the problem is still the same. I don’t see it getting better. Maybe somewhere else is better for my career.”

Q: Did you ask for a trade?
BG: “I was definitely trying to work something out with the Bulls. I told them I wanted to go back. Like I said, it was a numbers game. It wasn’t about if I wanted to come back, it was just a situation that was a numbers game. When one option doesn’t work you’ve got to go to Plan B and Plan C.”

Q: Is there anything close to a deal?
BG: “You have to ask my agent about that. He’s definitely been talking to other teams about possible deals. It’s just a process that you have to go through. I can’t say I’m closer to any one team than the others, but we have to wait until something happens.”

So I did speak with his agent, Raymond Brothers, who happened to be in town with his family to support Gordon’s charitable weekend. He clearly respects Donnie Walsh, but wouldn’t say whether any conversations have taken place. I know they have to be chatting at least occasionally because Brothers also represents Zach Randolph.

The new regime makes it a point to keep everyone in the loop when they are considering a personnel move.

“Zach is working out like crazy right now,” Brothers said.

I know we’ve been down this road before with Gordon, but I have to ask one more time, would anybody like to see him in a Knicks uniform? It might force the organization to make a number of drastic moves going forward to get under the salary cap in time for the 2010 free agent frenzy. Jamal Crawford is the incumbent. Who’s better suited for the future of the franchise?

I heard a rumor from a colleague this morning that a member of the Knicks was playing in a local men’s summer league, so I picked up the phone.

The first player who came to mind was Nate Robinson.

He is a man of the people. The guy is constantly in motion and will take full advantage of any opportunity to get in the gym. He puts on a heck of a basketball camp for the kids.

Plus, the only guys around right now are Robinson and David Lee.

It took a couple of calls, but the hunch was right. A couple of acquaintances who play in White Plains at New York Sports Club got the little big man to join Malik’s Crew in the summer league at T.D. Young Community Center in Greenburgh.

Robinson showed up and played three games there, delighting the crowd.

“A lot of fans came out to see him play,” said Boston Keith, the center’s recreation leader. “Usually, he came to help the other guys. Nate forced the defense to double and triple, and then he’d get the ball to somebody else for the basket. You could see he was having fun, and he was really friendly with everybody.”

There’s a reason why people are willing to overlook his flaws on the court, that’ one of them.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been over there to watch summer league, but it’s a typical gym-rat palace. Small court. Big fans. The rosters are normally filled with high school all-stars and players with college resumes.

Robinson scored 23 points on Monday to get Malik’s Crew into the finals, but he wasn’t available last night and his guys lost 76-70 in the championship game to Frenji.

“I think he had a softball game or something,” Keith said.

Are you at least mildly intrigued by the story about investors calling for the Dolan family to break up Cablevision? Do you have visions of a future that does not  include the poster boy for overspending sitting in a baseline seat?

Be careful here.

Should the Dolans ultimately spin off Madison Square Garden, a new era will indeed begin. It would finally include real bottom line accountability. Shareholders are not concerned right now with the millions and millions wasted to make people like Annucha Browne Sanders and Isiah Thomas disappear. They aren’t worried about overpaying for Chris Duhon, either. The sports end of Cablevision’s holdings make up such a small percentage of the overall conglomerate.

All that changes if the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty become a separate entity.

The accounting department would have a say in all decisions because turning a profit is the goal of any business. There won’t be a financial safety net to buy out previous mistakes. So which is the lesser of two evils, James Dolan or the  number crunchers?

Does everybody know now why the summer of 2010 is so important?

Nobody outside New York cares about the Knicks. Things are so bad, nobody wants to sit in front of the flat screen and watch this franchise win or lose.

It used to be a love-hate relationship.

Either way, fans across the country tuned in and generated ratings. Patrick Ewing was Darth Vader. Now there’s nobody to focus on.

Check out the broadcast schedule for the upcoming season, you’re going to see a lot of the following stars:

LeBron James

• 15 ESPN/ABC


• 10 TNT

Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce

•  16 ESPN/ABC


• 9 TNT

Kobe Bryant

• 15 ESPN/ABC


• 10 TNT

Steve Nash/Shaquille O’Neal

• 15 ESPN/ABC


•  10 TNT

Dirk Nowitzki

• 14 ESPN/ABC


•  7  TNT

Tim Duncan/Tony Parker

• 15 ESPN/ABC


• 5 TNT

Carmelo Anthony/Allen Iverson

• 9 ESPN/ABC


• 7 TNT

Greg Oden

• 5 ESPN/ABC


• 8 TNT

A couple of winning seasons would help the Knicks regain credibility, but one marquee name turns a struggling organization into an overnight success in the ratings game.

Here we go, the regular season gets under way Oct. 29 at Madison Square Garden against the Miami Heat, which is going to be a pretty good test as long as Dwyane Wade is ready to go. Two nights later, the Knicks get a look at Elton Brand and the Philadelphia 76ers.

We can get a head start and panic about the 0-2 start now.

Larry Brown comes back for a visit on Nov. 5 with the Charlotte Bobcats, and I expect to see a lot of creative signage. It’ll be interesting to see whether two lousy years under Isiah Thomas has dampened the fans enthusiasm to have a little fun at the expense of a former coach.

Mike D’Antoni goes back to Pheonix for the first time on Dec. 15.

There’s a killer road trip in January against Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans.

All-Star weekend is Feb. 13-15 in Phoenix.

Kevin Garnett and the Celtics come into MSG on Jan. 4 and Feb. 6. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers visit Feb. 2.

It might take a miracle to get into the playoffs, especially with the April schedule. The Knicks start the month with a home-and-home against Toronto, and then visit Chicago, host Detroit, visit Orlando and Miami and finally close the regular season at home against the Nets.

And I did go through the TBS and ABC/ESPN releases and did not find a single mention of the Knicks. That’s quite a statement. I’m kind of suprised the Knicks don’t have at least one national appearance. This is still New York, afterall.

The Knicks will play each Eastern Conference team four times except Atlanta, Chicago and Indiana and Miami. There are 18 sets of back-to-backs and D’Antoni will have to go deep in order to contend with four games in five nights on three separate occasions.