Knicks president goes scouting to Paris..

While the Knicks coaching staff began conducting pre-draft workouts yesterday in Westchester, president Donnie Walsh had bigger fish to fry across the pond in France.


Walsh, who flew to Paris on Thursday for the European Final Four, has his eyes not just on draft prospects but on 2010 free agents, forward Linas Kleiza and Josh Childress, the athletic wing formerly of the Hawks, as well as Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio of Spain.

The talented Kleiza, 25, a restricted free agent for the Nuggets, and Childress both played this season for Olympiakos Athens, which reached the final yesterday. They will play Rubio’s FC Barcelona.

With point guard Jonny Flynn emerging as a force for the Timberwolves, the Spanish sensation is expected to be dealt by Walsh’s buddy, ’Wolves general manager David Kahn.

Meanwhile, former Lincoln star Lance Stephenson is officially in the NBA draft as he signed Thursday with New York-based agent Alberto Ebanks. Stephenson played just one season for Cincinnati and could fall out of the first round. The Knicks pick 38th and 39th.


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