The Knicks' offseason is now underway after the blue-and-orange were downed by the Pacers.  Now, the aging Knicks have a whole lot of questions to answer as they look to take another step ahead in 2013/14.  Here's the latest out of MSG..

• Marcus Camby's agent told Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) that his client was healthy enough to play in the playoffs and has been ready to go for some time now.  When asked about the big man's future, he said, "He's under contract and there is no question they can use him, so one would expect he'd be back," (link).  Camby is set to earn roughly $7.5MM over the next two seasons.
• More from Zwerling, who has four key questions facing the Knicks this summer.  One scout told Zwerling that New York will have to target athletic, rebound-minded big men and a few available options include Al-Farouq Aminu, Louis Amundson, Dante Cunningham, and Gani Lawal, who played with Iman Shumpert at Georgia Tech.
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) hears that Carmelo Anthony's right knee appears to be fine, two months removed from having fluid drained from it.  His shoulder, on the other hand, is another story.
• Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops is scratching his head after some questionable decisions from coach Mike Woodson.

The Knicks season ended last night when the Pacers defeated them in Indiana to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks were the oldest team in NBA history for the 2012/13 season, and they have a lot of offseason decisions to reach in lieu of their loss to the Pacers. 

The first such decision concerns the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year, J.R. Smith. Smith recently reiterated his desire to remain in a Knicks uniform next year despite the popular consensus he'll opt out of the contract that will pay him $2.9MM next season. He tweeted about wanting to return (Twitter link) today as SheridonHoops.com's Ben Baroff pointed out. But Smith isn't the only question mark as the Knicks head into the offseason after their best playoff performance in more than a decade.

• Despite a postseason showing that saw them get out of the first round for the first time since the 1999/00 season, Howard Beck at the New York Times writes that with very little cap flexbility, the Knicks' window for continued postseason magic may have run out. 
• Ian Begley at ESPNNewYork.com brings readers through five pressing issues the Knicks face this summer, including what to do with Amar'e Stoudemire, who didn't start a single game this season after Carmelo Anthony agreed to play power forward in Mike Woodson's small-ball lineup. Begley also discusses whether the Knicks will continue to go small next season.
• One of the injuries hampering Knicks franchise star Carmelo Anthony this postseason, was his left shoulder. Frank Isola of New York Daily News says Anthony will have his injured left shoulder examined. 
• Another Eastern Conference team that was eliminated in the conference semifinals, the Bulls, are looking to get healthy this offseason while figuring out what to do in free agency, writes Aggrey Sam at CSNChicago.com. The free agency questions center around their backcourt, since Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli are free agents this summer and the Bulls are not likely to pick up Richard Hamilton's $5MM option next year, but will have to pay him the $1MM that's guaranteed.
• Aggrey Sam at CSNChicago.com also writes that the Bulls' draft picks, they hold the 20th and 49th overall selections this June, could be a lot better than expected in what is considered a down draft year. A lot of players predicted to be selected in the later rounds of the draft performed well in Chicago's predraft combine this past week.
•  Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, says it's time for Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo to go, and with reports the Raptors are pursuing current Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri, the end appears close for Colangelo. The Raptors are expected to make a decision about their future general manager some time tomorrow after Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reported the Raptors have until Monday to exercise or decline their option on Colangelo for the 2013/14 season. 

With an All-Star appearance and two championships on his resume, Andrew Bynum looked primed to stake his claim as the Eastern Conference's premier center after joining the 76ers last summer. Unfortunately, injury setbacks have kept Bynum from suiting up in a regular season game in Philadelphia, and a huge question mark looms over his future as he approaches free agency this summer. ESPN's Chris Broussard, who originally thought that the 76ers were the biggest beneficiaries of the Dwight Howard trade, spoke with six other NBA executives about how they would handle the 7-foot center's contract situation this summer (Insiders only). Although they each offer unique approaches, it's not much of a surprise that none would offer a max contract. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division: 

• Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley of ESPN New York discussed the latest on the Knicks, most notably about the health of Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert. Begley also added that he thinks that the team will revisit adding another player before the playoffs start, being that it would be a big gamble to start the postseason with three players unavailable due to season-ending injuries. 
• Newsday's Barbara Baker says that Shumpert appears healthy today after a scare during last night's game against the Magic, when the second year guard said he felt a "pop" in the same knee that he suffered an ACL injury almost one year ago. 
• Tim Smith of the New York Daily News talks about Kenyon Martin's resurgence with the Knicks as the former number one pick fills in for the team's injured big men.
• Danny Ainge told Salk and Holley of 93.7 WEEI FM that Celtics swingman Jeff Green is starting to prove that he deserves to be on the court for "most minutes of the game" (Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com reports).  

With the Knicks set to face the Clippers during what has been a dreary road trip and the Nets hosting the Hawks in Brooklyn, both teams could find itself in a virtual tie for first place in the Atlantic Division tomorrow if Los Angeles wins and Atlanta loses. While Manhattan deals with the uncertainty of Carmelo Anthony's knee, Brooklyn finds Deron Williams in the middle of what appears to be his second wind, as Newsday's Roderick Boone observes that the point guard looks to be past the ankle pains that limited him early on this season. Here's more out of New York tonight: 

• Tyson Chandler, who joins Anthony in recovering from an injury, views this as an opportunity for both of them to get enough rest to prepare them for a last season push, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. In addition to calling it a "blessing in disguise," Chandler also told reporters: "I feel like (Carmelo) will fully heal and be back over the next couple of games...I know I will be back in the next couple of games. So we won with this lineup at the beginning of this year. That's when we went on our tear, and there's no reason why we can't get right back to that."
• In reading a Wall-Street Journal piece about Carmelo, Marc Berman of the New York Post points out the impact that the Knicks star had on J.R. Smith, who credits Anthony for reigning in his focus this year (Sulia link).
• Despite the two teams being finished with their regular season meetings, Howard Beck of the New York Times breaks down the remaining challenges that the cross-town rivals face in the race for the Atlantic Division. 

One reunion between a star player and his former home court received plenty of fanfare yesterday, as Dwight Howard put up a monster 39-point, 16-rebound line in his return to Orlando. Tonight will feature another star playing his former team, as Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks face the Nuggets in Denver. Because of the 2011 lockout, the Knicks didn't travel to Denver in a shortened '11/12 season, making this time the first time Carmelo has played in Denver since being traded in February 2011.

Here are a few Wednesday morning Knicks notes, with a focus on that Carmelo trade:

• Discussing his desire to be traded to New York, Anthony tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that a number of Nuggets players at the time were on expiring contracts, and he was facing the possibility of being on a rebuilding team. "People didn't really know the business side of the situation we were in," Anthony said. "Everybody's contract was up. They had plans of going younger. People from the outside looking in didn't really get it."
• When the Nuggets and Knicks finalized the blockbuster deal, it was one of two options on the table for Denver GM Masai Ujiri. According to Spears, an offer from the Nets was also available, which included Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Troy Murphy, and three draft picks. The Nets ultimately sent a similar package to the Jazz for Deron Williams.
• Sunny Saini of ESPN Stats & Info and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com each explore the question of who "won" the 'Melo trade between the Nuggets and Knicks. Begley reaches the same conclusion I would, arguing that both sides would likely do the deal again.
• Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com believes that, as bad as Amare Stoudemire's contract looks for the Knicks, it was a necessary evil, since it contributed significantly to the team becoming relevant again.

A few injury related notes about a few of the league's brightest stars. 

• According to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, Lakers forward Pau Gasol is close to returning, as it's been six weeks since he tore the plantar fascia in his right foot against Brooklyn in early February.
• Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony could get his knee drained, according to a tweet from Newsday's Al Iannazzone. But it's probable that this would only occur as a last solution. The knee injury won't force Anthony to miss time in the short term, but it's a situation that's constantly being monitored and reevaluated by the team. 
• According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Derrick Rose told reporters earlier today that he has no specific return date, and that he might not play at all this season. 

Howard Beck of the New York Times has posted a new mailbag in which he answers reader questions about the New York Knicks and the rest of the NBA. Here are the highlights:

• Beck stands by criticsms he made at the time of the Knicks' trade for Carmelo Anthony but admits it has worked out better than he expected.
• Many people in and around the NBA are impressed with the Bulls' success this season despite Derrick Rose's absence, writes Beck.
• Beck doesn't see Kenyon Martin as a realistic option for the Knicks in the event that the injury to Rasheed Wallace is season-ending, citing his advanced age and the team's abundance of forwards.
• Beck doesn't believe the Lakers will move Dwight Howard before the trading deadline, although he doesn't consider it as much a lock that he will re-sign in Los Angeles this summer given the team's struggles.
• The decision to let Jeremy Lin go and sign Raymond Felton has worked out for the Knicks despite facing heavy criticism at the time, writes Beck.

• Knicks star Carmelo Anthony says he feels re-energized after returning to a regular diet after fasting for two weeks, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola mentions that during Anthony's fast, his on-court performances had been mixed. 
• With only one game this past week, the extra time off should only be of benefit to the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. He also notes that Felton, who wants to play against Boston on Thursday, thinks that next weekend is a more realistic return date from injury. 
• Although prone to injury because of his energetic and all-out style of play, Gerald Wallace says he's not changing his game (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports). Later, Boone discusses Keith Bogans success as one of the Nets' more productive role players. 
• Greg Payne of ESPN Boston thinks that Jared Sullinger deserves to be selected for the NBA's Rookie-Sophomore game during All-Star Weekend and notes that head coach Doc Rivers and many of the Celtics players strongly agree. 

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday night:

• Rudy Gay is turning to his friends around the NBA for support as trade rumors swirl, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
• Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News writes that Carmelo Anthony's recent fight with Kevin Garnett brings into question Knicks owner James Dolan's decision to build the roster around him.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that Richard Hamilton is starting to realize that his career is coming to a close.
• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times praises the recent play of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer for the Bulls.
• A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes that Celtics rookie Jared Sullinger is showing an increased aggressiveness in recent weeks.
• Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer reports that former Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is mentoring the team's two young bigs, Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is impressed with the job interim head coach Jim Boylan has done for the Bucks since replacing Scott Skiles.
• Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Gerald Henderson understands that his primary role with the Bobcats is three-point shooting.

Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston delves further into what today's roster moves meant for the Celtic green, noting that the $275K the team saved by waiving Kris Joseph is nearly the amount it will cost the team to sign a veteran-minimum player late in the season. He also points out that Boston must wait for Joseph and Jarvis Varnado to clear waivers before being able to offer 10-day contracts. As for the now-former Celtics, Forsberg writes that both will have the option of returning to the D-League while awaiting their next opportunity. Here's the rest of what we've heard out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

• ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling describes how current Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga played a pivotal role in helping Knicks forward Chris Copeland earn a shot to play in the NBA. 
• With P.J. Carlesimo, Nets rookie Mirza Teletovic has another chance to make a first impression (Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports). 
• In a Q&A with readers that covered a variety of miscellaneous topics, Doug Smith of TheStar.com said that with a full roster, the Raptors aren't currently inclined to waive anyone in order to sign someone to a 10-day contract. With regards to their point guard situation, Smith thinks that Toronto should stand pat for now and seems confident that the team will eventually have discussions next summer to try and keep Jose Calderon. 

• Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com looks at some implications that the two vacant roster spots have for the Celtics, namely the flexibility to go after a player like Kenyon Martin for a minimum deal down the line and the ability to take in more players in a potential trade. 
• Despite his offensive struggles since returning from injury, Celtics guard Avery Bradley has been making enough of an impact defensively to earn significant playing time (Gary Washburn Boston.com writes). 
• Efficient three-point shooting, the ability to get to the free throw line at a high rate, and versatility at power forward are just a few of the reasons why it has been a career year for Carmelo Anthony thus far, opines Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld. 
• With his consistent ability to tap the basketball out to teammates for second chance opportunities, Tyson Chandler has become a key component for the Knicks' success offensively, says Nate Taylor of The New York Times.
• Marcus Camby thinks that teammate Amare Stoudemire can thrive in a role off of the bench the way J.R. Smith has done for the Knicks, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.