The New York Knicks are apparently getting very close to signing restricted free agents David Lee(notes) and Nate Robinson(notes) to one-year deals, according to New York Newsday. Team president Donnie Walsh would only say that things are “at the point where we should start talking real numbers.” One would hope so with camp coming up so soon.

It appears that no quality sign-and-trade deal could be found that Walsh was happy to do, but it does look like Walsh is going to at least give the two players more money than are in the initial qualifying offers: $2.9 million for Robinson and $2.7 million for Lee.

There’s no doubt Walsh will be happy next summer when he can clear these guys out of the system (though some think he might want to retain Lee) and use that money to go after other free agents with bigger names like Chris Bosh and Amar’e Stoudemire as well as two who are much more unlikely to move to new teams: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

– By Mark Miller | Newsday