INDIANAPOLIS – Pistons big man Mehmet Okur made a point to say that remaining in Detroit is his first choice. But the Turkish 7-foot restricted free agent whom the Knicks will chase had only good things to say about the New York area.
“It’s a great, beautiful city,” Okur, who returns to Turkey each summer, told The Post before the Pistons faced Indiana in last night’s Game 2. “There’s a lot of Turkish people who live there, especially in New Jersey. But I want to stay here first. If not, there will be other teams.”
The Pistons’ plans for Okur are muddled, as his playing time has suffered. The Knicks can offer Okur the mid-level exception, a six-year deal starting at $5 million. If they do, and the Pistons re-sign Rasheed Wallace, it’s not likely Detroit will match.
Okur is not Isiah Thomas’ first choice for the $5M mid-level exception, but he’s in the mix. With Allan Houston’s knee a concern, the Knicks would love to add restricted free agent combo guard Jamal Crawford, particularly with the growing sense the Bulls won’t match a mid-level offer. However, Thomas could do a sign-and-trade with the Bulls, then use the mid-level on a big man.
Okur can play all three frontcourt positions, but Larry Brown doesn’t like him enough to pull struggling small forward Tayshaun Prince from the starting lineup. And in a telling remark last Friday, Joe Dumars, in talking about the Pistons’ future, excluded Okur’s name.
“Rasheed’s 29, Ben’s 29, Chauncey’s 27, Rip’s 25, Tayshaun’s 23,” Dumars said. “We’re not going to go away.” By the way, Okur is 23.
Okur’s agent, Mark Fleisher, is based in New Canaan, Conn., and always has maintained a good relationship with the Knicks.
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