http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/17534.htm

KNICKS MAY ROLL DYESS AGAIN
By MARC BERMAN

June 19, 2004 -- Even though Antonio McDyess has called Isiah Thomas "sneaky" and felt dissed by the Jan. 5 trade to Phoenix, he is interested in returning to the Knicks this summer, according to his agent.

The Knicks actually have interest in the free-agent, too for the right price.

Thomas never considered McDyess the franchise savior as former GM Scott Layden did, but believes he can be a solid backup power forward at the least.

"He hasn't given up his apartment yet in Manhattan," McDyess' agent Andy Miller told The Post. "We met a week ago. He has interest, no question about it. He has a burning desire to show people [in New York] he can still play. He's 100 percent.

"Even if he's not the old McDyess who can jump out of the gym, he's one of the best big men in a thin free-agent pool."

Still, it's unlikely teams will fork over the full $5 millon mid-level exception because of his past knee surgeries. McDyess, who will be 30 in September, had a nice finish with the Suns, starting the last 13 games when he averaged 8.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 29 minutes per game.

The Suns are still looking for cap room so they can make Kobe Bryant a maximum contract offer. McDyess' only chance of returning to Phoenix is if the Suns don't get Kobe.

"We told Antonio at the end of the season if the opportunity presents itself, we'd like to have him back, depending on the free-agent fallout," Suns president Bryan Colangelo said.

If the Knicks split their mid-level and get two players, Michael Doleac is on Isiah's list. Doleac's first choice would be Utah, but the jump-shooting center clicked with Stephon Marbury, who enjoyed playing with him, on pick-and-roll plays. Thomas can also use his lower $1.5M exception.

4 the Right Price I'd Love Dice Back. I have Him on my Knick 2k4 Roster

I would take him back for sure and for the right price.. He was looking pretty good at the end of the season, he can help the knicks...

would folks sign Dice for the full MLE?

Posted by martin:

would folks sign Dice for the full MLE?

Yea I'm hesitant about even giving Dice some of the MLE. Only if the players as VDesai mentioned don't accept our offers then I would split the MLE between Dice and Doleac.

Dice sucks. Hes gonna get worse and those knees will def get broken again. The Knicks should stop getting worn out talent and get some young guys.

I don't think Dyess is the right player for this team. First, I doubt he would want to play here after what happened with Isiah. Second, he's old and on the down side. He's a 'name' player, and that's all he's got left to offer: name value. Third, there's talent out there that's attainable that would help WAY more than Dyess. Fourth, I don't think the Knicks should be worried about trying to 'prove they won the Phoenix trade'. You don't prove that by re-signing a broken old star, you prove it by winning with Marbury.

How about splitting the mid-level $3mill to Chris Andersen and 2 mill to Doleac? That would solve a lot of big men problems. I don't think the option of signing Damps or Swift or Sheed is real. Damps can get more and hasn't opted out yet. Swift is restricted and there's no way Jerry West let's him go, especially with all the big names out there that could be had. Sheed? Please. He's probably trying to figure out how many rings they can win right now.

I say we need to go after talent that's truly available for the Mid: Blount, Andersen, Stephen Jackson and maybe Brent Barry. People available for the LLE: Doleac, Dyess if he's there and only there. Trade: Jamal Crawford, Drew Gooden, and maybe Damps.

That's my two cents.

Sorry no Dice......with our luck, he goes IR within one week

1 thing i would love if they could swing it is, if Isiah could get a trade exception from Charlotte for taking Othella Harrington

I thought the Knicks protected Othella (meaning that the Bobcats can't select him in the expansion draft and the Knicks can't get an exception)

Posted by Bonn1997:

1 thing i would love if they could swing it is, if Isiah could get a trade exception from Charlotte for taking Othella Harrington

I thought the Knicks protected Othella (meaning that the Bobcats can't select him in the expansion draft and the Knicks can't get an exception)

you're right, i forgot i did read that Othella had been protected...i hope Isiah has something in the works.

Absolutely agree with the folks who point out that dyess will just end up taking sweetney's minutes-- and thats a best case scenario. If dyess doesn't reinjure, which he will, he retard's sweetney's progression. if he does, well in order to have signed him to the lle or part of the mle, we'd have to take him for 3 or 4 years. c'mon. no way zeke does this. he'd certainly get doleac, camby or any number of dudes before going after dice. I'd bet money we're going to trade into the first round. We have pieces to dangle (KT is certainly worth a mid first round pick) KT for Vin Baker's contract and Boston's first round pick is nice. Shandon Anderson and our 44 (43 if you don't count minny) for Alan Henderson and Atlanta's top second round pick (somewhere in the top five second round i think and they have three second rounders) gets rid of our two longest contracts and two players who obviously have nothing to do with the future of the knicks. We buy out henderson and for less than it would have cost to buy out Shandon, we've moved both him and kurt and picked up a high second rounder and a mid first rounder.