It was always transparent, sensational journalism fueled by Isiah Thomas coming to save the day in courting Amar’e Stoudemire. While the Knicks gave him full marks, they were always confident in signing Amar’e, as we reported June 30th.

Donnie Walsh had a conference call, someone asked him if Isiah would be considered as General Manager or President when Walsh retired, it’s obvious that the current Knicks president was being polite. If you believe this report,  it appears Isiah will not be rejoining the Knicks.

The Knicks gave their strongest denial yesterday regarding rumors Isiah Thomas could be hired this summer.It came one day after Thomas visited the Garden’s offices for several hours and met with owner Jim Dolan.

A source close to the situation told The Post, “There’s no job for him there now.”

Well, he does have a job. This became a very hot-buttoned topic and there were suggestions to be about an Isiah witch-hunt and this ghastly, and misguided selection of memory, that Scott Layden got off easy here.

Let me make this clear. I supported the Isiah hiring at the time. Vehemently. At the time I pointed to Isiah’s Hall of Fame acumen and  backed it up by saying, “well, he can’t be any worse than Layden.”

Turns out I was wrong. It was as bad  and probably worse when you factor in the embarrassing stuff off the court like the baffling falling out with Stephon Marbury who Isiah defended in a dispute with Larry Brown, followed by a civil case brought on by an employee.

Bottom line is this. Isiah doesn’t deserve an apology. Neither does Layden. Neither does Al Bianchi, or Ed Tapscott.  Isiah wasn’t the one who ruined the franchise on the court to begin with, but he certainly played a big part in tarnishing it off the court.

Isiah apologists point to Layden as someone who was the reason Thomas failed, logical minds understand they simply both were terrible in their own right. And the bottom line is that the franchise is better off without either, equally.

Now let’s move on.