Walsh’s return to Pacers imminent; Bird to stay on as consultant

Donnie Walsh and I have been playing a little game for almost three decades. This is how it works: I call and leave a message, asking for verification on this, that or the third thing. No response means he can’t tell me the truth and doesn’t want to lie.

Thus, I’m on my own to figure out the answer.

Yesterday, I tried to contact Walsh via cell phone and email. Over the weekend, the Indianapolis Star reported the former Knicks’ president, whose non-consultancy with the team ends June 30 — his extraordinary West Side apartment vacated a minute ago — is returning to the Pacers’ front office, where he worked round-the-clock since before being entrapped in 2008 by James Dolan.

The report stated Walsh would be hired in "some capacity," either as a complement to team president Larry Bird or as his replacement.

Enthused by the Pacers’ auspicious future he carved out, Larry Legend changed his mind about retiring to Florida — and now ...

It’s unfathomable to think owner Herb Simon has any problem with that decision. Still, his stalling and flip-flopping might be held against him.

Seemingly, it’s done, though that could be deceiving. Kevin Pritchard, meanwhile, is making trade calls for the Pacers. Quietly, he was installed as GM, succeeding the universally mistrusted and iridescently dense David Morway.

Pritchard had the same title with the Blazers, who let him go two seasons ago. Briefly a Celtics’ teammate of Bird, he has been on call as a much-utilized consultant for over a year.

When in Indy, Pritchard made a point to break bread as often as possible with Walsh, whom I’ve yet to hear back from.

Once again, Walsh has left me hanging.

So, I’m forced to take a very educated guess.

Sources say Bird is leaving but not entirely; he’ll be retained as a distant consultant for a year. Meaning Walsh will be back in control, though that’s not set stone.

Simon, who lives in Southern California, is back in Indy, which is why an announcement of the change is expected momentarily.

* Man, am I sorry for answering back Gregg Popovich a few years ago, telling him, “I’d be a registered genius, too, if I coached Tim Duncan.”

Seems you almost can’t get a GM job (long my aspiration) these days unless you have a connection in some way with the Spurs’ certified Hall of Famer-to-be (I’m catching on) and he has affection for you.

Without Pop’s papal seal of approval, it’s tough out there.

In 2005, two years removed from (in)active duty with the Spurs, Danny Ferry advanced from their subterranean level of management to GM of the Cavaliers.

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