Mike Woodson

The Knicks are close to adding Mike Woodson to their coaching staff as their defensive assistant.

The move could be formalized by next week, according to sources.

Woodson was recommended by Isiah Thomas, who is a long-time friend and has consulted Jim Dolan since leaving his position as president.

Real GM

NBA commissioner David Stern has worked behind the scenes to make sure that Donne Walsh remains the president of the Knicks, according to a source.

Donnie Walsh

Three years ago, Stern lobbied owner James Dolan to hire Walsh to restore respectability to the franchise in the wake of the Isiah Thomas fiasco.

Last Friday, the New York Post reported that Dolan has hesitated on exercising the option on the fourth and final year of Walsh’s contract because he still has Thomas on his radar. He has until April 30 to exercise Walsh’s option.

In a rare occurrence, Stern released a statement on the day Walsh was hired as president, April 3, 2008.

The statement read, “In Donnie, the Knicks have secured the services of a seasoned basketball professional who is held in high regard throughout the league and to whom I have often turned for input on basketball matters over the years.”

Sources have told The Post that Thomas is consulting with Dolan unofficially on Knicks matters, including the Anthony trade negotiations.

Real GM

David Stern

David Stern admitted fault with the confusion over the return of Isiah Thomas to the Knicks as a consultant.

James Dolan briefed Stern before making the hire official.

“It’s fair to say I missed the issue,” Stern said. “I told them they can do it. And when it was announced, my guy said it’s not allowed. I blew that one good.”

Real GM

Isiah Thomas

NBA Hall of Famer and current men’s basketball coach at Florida International University Isiah Thomas has emerged as one of the candidates to run the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to a source, the Clippers have reached out to Thomas — who coached the Indiana Pacers and also the New York Knicks — to take over coaching, general manager and president duties.

He would replace Mike Dunleavy, who was relieved of his coaching duties earlier this week but remains the general manager.

Fox Sports

Photo by Rafael Amado Deras

The next time Magic Johnson asks the Knicks for a seat along celebrity row, he first may want to ask Isiah Thomas for his forgiveness.

The Daily News has learned that Johnson’s request for comp tickets to a Knicks game last month was rejected due in part to his criticism of Thomas, the team’s former president and head coach, who remains close to Garden chairman James Dolan.

The Knicks would neither confirm nor deny that Johnson was told that they would not provide him with a ticket to the team’s Dec. 7 game against Portland.

Inside Hoops

Donnie Walsh

Knicks president Donnie Walsh met with his entire U.S.-based scouting department Wednesday to discuss the future and perhaps one glaring mistake from the not-so-distant past.

“I’m pretty sure the name Brandon Jennings will come up,” said one team official.

The decision to pass on Jennings in June’s draft has backfired for the Knicks, and Walsh has not been shy about assigning blame to members of his scouting department, many of whom are holdovers from the Isiah Thomas administration.

FanNation