“Knicks owner James Dolan staged a business meeting with Isiah Thomas yesterday morning at the Mandarin Hotel in Midtown, according to a person familiar with the situation.

A band of security men surrounded the two men who were both dressed in business suits in a quiet corner of the lobby. Thomas has lobbied to return to the organization since he was fired as the Florida International basketball coach last spring. The meeting took place two days after the resignation of MSG sports president Scott O’Neil, who, according to a source, helped convince Dolan rehiring Thomas wasn’t a good move for the Knicks brand.”

My Man Tony Williams Broke it First

Tommy Dee, theKnicksBlog.com

It has been known for some time that Thomas and Dolan still speak frequently and as I talked about the other day Dolan’s conversations with Isiah bothered Scott O’Neil. Asking Thomas for advice publicly on the heels of O’Neil’s resignation speaks volumes that Dolan wants people to know that Thomas is still a major influence on the organization. With the stock price never higher, it’s a puzzling decision by Dolan to say the very least.