The Erie BayHawks, the New York Knicks and the NBA Development League announced today that the Knicks and BayHawks have entered into a single affiliation partnership beginning with the 2011-12 season. The Knicks will be the BayHawks’ sole NBA affiliate and will have control over the team’s basketball operations.

In a model similar to other minor leagues, this partnership, also referred to as the “hybrid affiliation,” allows for NBA teams to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of an NBA D-League team, while partnering with existing ownership, which maintains responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations.

The Knicks are the third NBA team to enter into a hybrid affiliation with an NBA D-League team, joining the Houston Rockets, with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and the New Jersey Nets, with the Springfield Armor. The other NBA teams with lone NBA D-League affiliates are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who fully own and operate the Tulsa 66ers and Austin Toros, respectively, and the Dallas Mavericks with the Texas Legends. The Knicks’ partnership with Erie comes on the heels of the NBA D-League’s 10th and most successful season, while 23 percent of all NBA players have used the NBA D-League as a launching pad.

Allan Houston may not be ready to be a viable candidate to replace Donnie Walsh just yet, but the former Knick, who served the last season under Walsh as assistant GM, is clearly in mind for the future.

The Knicks today announced that Houston will serve as general manager of the D-League's Erie BayHawks, with whom the Knicks have formed an exclusive affiliation. The Knicks will run the basketball operations of the BayHawks. The Knicks will be one of three teams to have what is called a "hybrid affiliation" with a D-League team, along with the Nets (Springfield Armor) and Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers).

The BayHawks used to be shared by the Cavaliers and Raptors.