Donnie Walsh wants Chauncey Billups to remain with Knicks despite inflated price tag: source

The Knicks have until Friday to either pick up the $14.2 million option on the veteran point guard's contract or buy him out for $4 million.

According to a team source, Walsh wants to keep Billups even at the inflated price for a player who will turn 35 in September. If Dolan, or whoever is advising Dolan (wink, wink) decides to go in a different direction, that could cause more friction between the Knicks' president and the team owner.

In his exit interview, Billups used the opportunity to make a compelling case as to why he should return. He reminded everyone, D'Antoni included, that he's the perfect leader to handle two high-maintenance superstars.

Billups seemed to be speaking directly to the Knicks' front office when he said: "There's a lot of responsibility for the position and quite frankly I think it is important to have somebody at the position, especially playing with Amar'e and Melo, that has won and that they pretty much have to respect the body of work.

"If not, those two guys are alpha males and if you're a young player you can't feel dominated. They know they can't really do that with me."

Billups spoke realistically about what the Knicks needed, especially interior defenders and a new defensive mind-set. He also provided the day's most amusing moment when he spoke of his admiration for Larry Brown, his coach in Detroit when the Pistons won the NBA title in 2004.

When Billups commented that perhaps Brown wasn't popular with the New York media, he was reminded that it was Dolan who had a famous falling-out with the oft-traveled coach and eventually fired him after one season.

Billups has been to two Finals and understands the sacrifices and teamwork it takes to reach that level. Stoudemire and Anthony are in their prime years and realize that the next two to three seasons will be critical.

"We want to win," Anthony said. "We don't want to have to wait. We want to win right now. I'm 26 years old. Amare is 27, 28. We're young men. But at the same time we want to get it done now. We've been waiting a long time to win. The time is now.