LeBron James becomes a free agent on Thursday and the Knicks are wasting no time in courting the King.

Brian Windhorst of The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Knicks are planning “an elaborate meal and meeting with James in a high-end location in Manhattan during the afternoon and evening of July 1, which is next Thursday. The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host James and his various agents and friends for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef.”

Citing a source, Windhorst also wrote that “the Knicks are currently scouring the city for an available high-rise condo or apartment with a great view to rent for the event, the source said.”

The Knicks have just four players signed for next season and more than $30 million in cap space. (more…)

NEW YORK -- Born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, Hamady N’Diaye didn’t begin playing basketball until he was 16.

Seven years later, N’Diaye was reduced to tears when he was selected in the NBA Draft.

The Minnesota Timberwolves chose N’Diaye No. 56 in the second round and dealt him to the Washington Wizards, where he could be a teammate of Kentucky guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick.

“To be honest, I still am crying,” N’Diaye said in a phone interview. “It’s a whole lot emotional. I don’t know what to say, to be honest.” (more…)

NEW YORK – If Lance Stephenson is ‘Born Ready’ for the NBA, he’ll have to prove it in Indiana, not New York.

The Knicks opted not to select the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Stephenson with the No. 38 and 39 picks in the second round of the NBA Draft, and the Pacers then grabbed him at No. 40.

New York selected Syracuse shooting guard Andy Rautins and Stanford forward Landry Fields with their two picks, opting to skip the Brooklyn native known as “Born Ready.” Stephenson held a draft party at the Paramount Hotel in Manhattan did not attend the draft.

“This is a night I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy and I got my family here to support me,” Stephenson told ESPNNewYork.com. “I am just happy. This day came fast. There is a lot of relief. I’ve wanted to be in the NBA since I was a little boy. I’m very motivated. Can’t even explain how motivated I am.” (more…)

NEW YORK — Derrick Favors had no idea whether the Nets would select him until NBA Commissioner David Stern called his name with the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft.

The Nets considered Favors and Syracuse small forward Wesley Johnson until draft day, and then finally pulled the trigger on the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Favors out of Georgia Tech.

“I didn’t know I was going to the Nets,” Favors said. “I pretty much knew John [Wall] was going to go 1 and Evan [Turner] was going 2, but I had no idea I was going to the Nets, and when they called me I was just excited.”

The 6-7 Johnson was picked No. 4 by the Minnesota Timberwolves and the 6-11 center DeMarcus Cousins was chosen No. 5 by the Sacramento Kings. (more…)

NEW YORK  – With only hours remaining before the NBA Draft, the Nets are still mulling what to do with the No. 3 pick and are actively considering trading to open up more cap space, an NBA source with knowledge said.

“It’s fair to say its [Derrick] Favors or [Wesley] Johnson,” the source said.

The 6-10 Favors had long been the favorite because he plays power forward and the Nets need one, but the 6-7 Johnson, a small forward out of Syracuse, performed well in his workout.

“Favors is still hanging in there. That’s a discussion,” the source said. (more…)

NEW YORK — John Wall’s life will change forever Thursday night.

Not only is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, but Wall’s sneaker commercial will make its television debut during the draft.

“To have your own commercial is a dream come true,” Wall said Wednesday during a meeting with the media.

Yahoo! Sports reported that Wall inked a five-year, $25-million deal with Reebok.

The “ZigTech Slash” is part of the company’s ZigTech collection. (more…)

Jamine “Greedy” Peterson, who was dismissed from the Providence basketball team in May for a “violation of team rules,” is headed overseas.

“He’s actually got offers from France, Turkey and Spain,” said Gerard Jones, the brother of West Virginia standout Kevin Jones and an advisor to Peterson.

He also has interest from clubs in Israel and Germany.

Jones said Peterson, 21, wants to make a decision “by the middle of July” before leaving for overseas in August.

Read the full story at SNY.

(Photo courtesy Providence Athletics)

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NEW YORK -- The Nets are likely to take Syracuse small forward Wesley Johnson with the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, a source with knowledge said.

“Yes,” the source said.

Asked if it was definite, the source said, “Nothing is certain.”

The Nets are also considering Georgia Tech power forward Derrick Favors and Kentucky center DeMarcus Cousins, both of whom worked out Monday.

But sources said Favors’ was not overly impressive in his workout. Cousins is viewed as a center and the Nets already have Brook Lopez. (more…)

Quinn Cook is rooming with Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Tony Wroten at the USA U17 training camp in San Antonio.

With Gilchrist and Teague having already committed to Kentucky, and Wroten leaning there, Cook is already hearing it from his roommates.

“We have the best recruiting class coming in [in 2011],” Gilchrist and Teague tell Cook, the No. 4 point guard in the Class of 2011. “You can join us.”

Despite the pressure from his roomies, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Cook is keeping his college options open and says he’ll take five official visits. (more…)

When 6-foot-8 rising senior forward Tyler Harris takes an unofficial visit Thursday to Rutgers, he will be the latest in a list of high-profile recruits to check out the campus in recent weeks.

Consider that in the last two weeks, Mike Rice’s staff has brought in Naadir Tharpe, Jordan Goodman, Jaron Sina, Tyrone Johnson, Myles Mack, Derrick Randall and Kadeem Jack on visits. Baylor transfer Givon Crump also came to Piscataway.

The 6-8 Goodman, considered one of the top players in the Class of 2012, ended up committing after his visit.

Still more recruits — including Mike Taylor, a sweet-shooting 2011 off guard from Brooklyn Boys & Girls — are due to visit in the coming days. (more…)