GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The New York Knicks did not win the lottery, but they may have a higher power on their side for Thursday’s NBA draft. For instance, when Hasheem Thabeet opened a fortune cookie Monday in midtown while lunching at Tao, the message read: “Buddha says: Please get drafted by the NY Knicks.”

But for the Knicks to fulfill Buddha’s request and land a valuable big such as the 7-3 Thabeet, who would fill a critical shot-blocking need, it will take a move up in the draft from the Knicks’ current position at No. 8. Knicks President Donnie Walsh Monday admitted he has been trying.
“Of course we’ve had conversations,” he said, “but I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that.”
The best opportunity may come with the Wizards’ pick at No. 5, though it would come at a very steep price. Multiple sources confirmed that the Knicks have discussed a potential blockbuster trade between the teams that would land the fifth overall pick while still allowing the Knicks to keep their spot at No. 8. The deal would likely have to include one of the team’s most cherished assets, swingman Wilson Chandler, which would be a difficult decision.
This scenario may also include Larry Hughes going back to Washington in exchange for guard Mike James, a New York native, and a big man such as Etan Thomas or Brendan Haywood. All of the players involved have expiring contracts.
The bold move by the Knicks, however, would not be to target Thabeet or even Spanish guard Ricky Rubio. It appears more likely that Davidson’s Stephen Curry or Memphis’ Tyreke Evans are the more coveted prospects. The Knicks could then use their own pick at No. 8 to land Arizona power forward Jordan Hill, if he is still on the board. If not, there is Duke’s Gerald Henderson or USC’s DeMar DeRozan to consider as potential replacements for Chandler.
There has been speculation that the Knicks — who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday — might make a push for Rubio, who has fallen out of favor with several of the top five teams. A week ago, it seemed the Sacramento Kings were a lock to take him with the fourth pick, but Kings GM Geoff Petrie is said to be leaning toward Evans or Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn. There was a report that Walsh wanted to meet with Rubio this week, but that proved to be inaccurate. Walsh did say there was an interest in sitting down with Rubio at the beginning of the pre-draft process, but not with three days to go.