Even with Mike D’Antoni as head coach and Donnie Walsh as general manager, the Knicks are still a calamity. Yet they are less so after signing point guard Chris Duhon, formerly of the Bulls, to a two-year deal worth about $11 million. Now the trick will be for the Knicks to use him; with Stephon Marbury still on the roster, the Knicks have a mini Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers situation on their hands. No matter. Duhon doesn’t have as much pure talent as Marbury, but he’s smarter and easier to coach, and his acquisition is a step in the right direction.

Chris Paul wasn’t rumored to be going anywhere, but the New Orleans Hornets made sure he’ll be in uniform for the foreseeable future. The Hornets’ scintillating point guard had one more year on his rookie contract, but the club extended his deal for three additional seasons with a player option for a fourth. The extension is worth about $68 million.

Richard Jefferson wasn’t pleased to leave New Jersey, but he should be, because the Nets are in the same holding pattern they’ve been in for the past five years. At least a change of venue to Milwaukee for the versatile Jefferson might revitalize his career. And the Bucks get a dependable defender who can also score. The only problem is whether he can share the ball with Michael Redd. If he can’t, then Jefferson will just be trading one headache (Vince Carter) for another. And the Bucks will have lockerroom strife to deal with.

The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors pulled off a deal that may or may not help both. The Pacers sent Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto for point guard T.J. Ford. For Toronto, it might mean a league superstar, who has slipped into a mental and physical sinkhole, could get new life and help the Raptors become a legitimate power in the East. The Raptors also can hand the starting point-guard job to Jose Calderon now that Ford is gone.

From Indiana’s standpoint, Ford could be the point man they need — if he stays healthy. But he’s an injury list mainstay, and if he goes down for any length of the season the deal will look like a dud. The Pacers also received center Rasho Nesterovic, who will take up space.

The Minnesota Timberwolves helped themselves on draft day, not only by grabbing UCLA big man Kevin Love but also by acquiring sharpshooter Mike Miller in that same deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Miller’s perimeter marksmanship will help open up the middle more for big man Al Jefferson.

And somehow, it all comes back to the Clippers.

Now that they’ve been shafted by Brand and agent David Falk, they could sign Josh Smith or they could make a run at power forward Okafor, a restricted free agent. The Charlotte Bobcats want Okafor back in the fold to play for coach Larry Brown, but negotiations have gone slowly. Complicating the matter: Andrew Bogut was signed by the Bucks to an extension worth in excess of $72 million. If he can get that, Okafor will probably ask for $200 million and a yacht.

With the Clippers in freefall and with lots of salary cap space, they might just meet such a price.

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