All summer Knicks fans, myself included, have read the newspapers, talked on message boards, and debated with friends about what course Knicks General Manager Scott Layden will take in these waning weeks of summer, before training camp begins and before another season is bestowed upon us.

Who will he trade, who will he sign, what type of team will he put together? However, it isn’t only the common fans who have decided to spend their time discussing this important matter. All the basketball intellects; from David Aldridge to Marc Berman; all the basketball publications, from ESPN Insider to the New York Times; everything written regarding the Knicks seems to boil down to Latrell Sprewell and pondering his whereabouts for next season.

Will he be a Knick? Will he be a Cavalier? Will he be a Hawk? Will he be a King? The list goes on and on. Some trade ideas are creative, some are boring, others are plain stupid.

But it is an intriguing question. Latrell Sprewell was the best player on the Knicks last year. He is the most tradable player on the Knicks right now. Looking at the Knicks current state, they need a point guard and a center.

Well, if the Knicks want an All-Star point guard like Andre Miller or Baron Davis, they better include Latrell Sprewell in a trade. If they were to acquire a talented center like Michael Olowokandi, Sprewell would be the Knick changing addresses. So it boils down to one simple and logical question, should the Knicks trade Latrell Sprewell? The answer is no.

Quick, ask yourself “who is the most popular player on the Knicks? Who do the fans cheer for the loudest when his name is announced over the P.A.?” There is only one answer to this question, and it is… Latrell Sprewell.

Quick, easy, not even a contest. Spree is the most popular player on the Knicks. He embodies the entire Knick mantra of hard work, resilience, the “never-say-die” attitude.

Why does this matter? Keep in mind that even after his bold draft day move, Scott Layden is still hanging by a thread as Knicks general manager. A Sprewell trade would infuriate the Knicks fan base, regardless of who was brought in. The diehards might recognize it as a good trade, but if Joe Somebody turns on the television one night and finds out the Knicks traded his favorite player for some point guard from Cleveland (Andre Miller) he or she’s never heard of, he or she would be angered.

They might not watch the Knicks anymore. They might not attend the games. They might hop on the New Jersey Nets bandwagon. It is these people that make the Knicks one of the more popular franchises in all of professional sports and it is these people the New York Knicks can’t afford to lose.

That above would be reason number one. Secondly, if the Knicks traded Sprewell before ever trying him out with newly acquired Antonio McDyess down low and the team started off 0-10 (something very possible considering nine of the first ten teams on the Knicks schedule qualified for the 2001-2002 playoffs) both Layden and Chaney would be out of a job on November 12th. This is a business for those two, and they’re more interested in keeping their jobs.

For the third example (which is intertwined with the last example), I’d like the reader to close your eyes and paint a picture. There is Scott Layden, playing in a high stakes card games. In his jacket pocket is the deed to his house. That’s his last resort. If he is cleaned out of all his money, that’ll be what he wagers.

So, when will Layden throw his deed in the middle of the table: in the beginning hands when the game is getting going or when he has nothing else? Of course, the latter. It’s his last straw, the last chance for survival. Sprewell is Layden’s house deed. If the Knicks don’t trade Sprewell and they start off 2-8 or 1-9 and Jim Dolan comes into his office and says “Scotty, pack your bags,” Layden would probably beg for one more week, saying he has a trade to get rid of Sprewell. He’d say “Give me one more chance, just one week, let’s see how this trade works out.” That would be when, if ever, he trades Sprewell. As the last resort. If Jim Dolan hears that he’ll shake things up, he’ll probably agree.

And finally, why are trades executed? To make a team better, correct? How good of a player is Latrell Sprewell? How much gas is left in the tank, so to speak? Plenty. This is the same Latrell Sprewell that played better then Michael Jordan on October 31st, it being Jordan’s first game back in the NBA. Under immense pressure and when public opinion felt His Airness would walk all over Spree, #8 had 28 and led the Knicks to a two point victory.

This is the same Latrell Sprewell that lit Paul Pierce up for 49 big ones on December 11th. This is the same Latrell Sprewell who dropped 28 on Tracy McGrady, the same who dropped 32 on Allen Iverson, 35 on Vince Carter, 48 on Ray Allen (in double-OT no less.) The point that is attempting to be made here is that Latrell Sprewell can play with the best of them on a night-to-night basis. Will he average 25 a night? No. But will he be able to contest the Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady’s of the world and give the Knicks a chance every game? Definitely.

The Knicks went 30-52 last year without a power forward or a center. Their beloved coach walked out on them after 29 games. They blew over 10 double-digit second half leads. They now have a coach who will be able to run training camp and be able to start the season as head coach, knowing his expectations. They now have an All-Star power forward who can draw double teams, something not known to Knicks fans since Patrick Ewing left town. Most importantly, they still have Latrell Sprewell.