METTA WORLD PEACE. (NBAE/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS — Mike Woodson said Knicks fans should preach patience as they wait for Peace.
It’s official! Metta World Peace, the former Ron Artest, was waived via the amnesty rule Thursday night by the Lakers, partially paving the way for him to finally come home and become a Knick.
A lot of chips have to fall James Dolan’s way for this Big Apple dream to happen, but World Peace’s father, Ron Artest Sr., believes ultimately it will. Though World Peace has told his father he would retire if he got amnestied by the Lakers, Artest Sr. doesn’t believe it.
“I feel it’s a big, big possibility,’’ Artest Sr. told The Post Thursday night of his son joining the Knicks. “If the Knicks go after Ron, I can’t see him turning them down.’’
The Lakers still have to pay World Peace’s $7.7 million salary, but will save $15 million in luxury taxes. The Queensbridge product now has to clear amnesty waivers in which under-the-cap teams can put a bid on him.
Eleven teams under the cap who can block his move to the Knicks, who received another blow yesterday when the Nets signed forward Andrei Kirilenko. Michael Jordan’s Bobcats, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Orlando, Sacramento, Dallas, Utah, Cleveland and Phoenix can now bid on World Peace in the next 48 hours.
If nobody bids on the controversial 33-year-old small forward, he becomes an outright free agent available for the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million.
Asked at Thursday’s summer-league practice about the team’s interest if World Peace becomes available, Woodson said: “[General manager] Glen [Grunwald] is coming up and we’ll sit and talk more about him. We don’t have to rush to do anything. The core group is intact that won 54 games last year. That player, or two, could slip through the cracks with amnesty or someone waived or bought out. It can happen. We got to sit patiently and wait and keep roster spots open to see if that may happen.”
World Peace has told his father he doesn’t want to uproot his family by going to another city. He told his father he especially has no interest in playing for a non-contender. However, by retiring, World Peace would forfeit the $7.7 million. If he clears without being bid on, he becomes a free agent and can make $7.7 million plus a portion of the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum (some money is rerouted to the Lakers).
“My gut feels like if the Knicks want him now, my gut tells me it will happen,’’ said Artest Sr., who runs his own kids foundation in New York City. “I haven’t spoken to him yet tonight. I think he could be a prized possession for the Knicks. He wanted to play for the Knicks for so long, since childhood.’’
World Peace had a fun time on Twitter Thursday night, writing he would play for the L.A. Kings or Yao Ming’s team in Shanghai.
In a statement, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said: “It’s tough to say goodbye to a player such as Metta. For anyone who’s had the opportunity to get to know him, it’s impossible not to love him.’’
The Knicks have failed to sign an outside free agent because of the lack of money they can spend under the new collective bargaining agreement. They have been searching for a small forward who can defend and hit the 3-point shot.
On a conference call to introduce Andrea Bargnani, Grunwald said he’s confident the Knicks’ free-agent slump will end soon and believes more players will be waived because of the oppressive luxury-tax penalties.
Grunwald also said he will keep two of the 15 roster spots open for training camp in case more stuff shakes out.
Grunwald said he has liked his summer, adding Bargnani via trade and re-signing Pablo Prigioni and J.R. Smith. The Knicks have 10 players under contract and Grunwald indicated they are in good position to re-sign Kenyon Martin, too.
“All our core rotation players from last year are back with the exception of Steve [Novak],’’ Grunwald said. “We need to add depth to our bench. We have some good ideas. We’re optimistic we’ll add good players to our team.’’
Grunwald said he realizes the club has to do more tinkering.
“Speculation is the Eastern Conference will be better, not just Brooklyn,’’ he said. “We felt Andrea was a step forward. We’re obviously not satisfied and we need to continue to move this organization forward.’’
Grunwald omitted Chris Copeland’s name as a “core rotation player.’’ His departure to the Pacers seems more disappointing to the fans than Knicks’ brass which made Prigioni the priority.
“Only time will tell how good Chris will be with the Pacers,’’ Woodson said. “For us he was a guy who we didn’t think could make our ballclub [out of camp].’’
They also want to add a third point guard to give them the option of starting a two-point-guard-alignment of Raymond Felton and Prigioni. Their latest failure was trying to woo Gary Neal, a source said.