UPDATE:


After playing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Latrell Sprewell's return to Madison Square Garden, the Knicks will play Memphis, Miami and Orlando on the road before returning to New York for home games against the Heat, Bulls and Nets.

Only one of those six games will be against a team with a winning record, so Thomas will have that body of work to review by the time the Garden hosts its next big comeback game -- former coach Jeff Van Gundy's return Jan. 8 when the Knicks play the Houston Rockets.

``What he said about evaluating the team, that could wake some people up and get us on the ball. But then again, it depends on how people take it,'' Antonio McDyess said. ``I don't think he's going to sit back and not do anything.''

If Thomas tries to shake up the Knicks with a trade, he'll need to find a team willing to take on one of the long-term contracts given out under Layden.

Thomas would likely try to package players with expiring contracts (McDyess, Charlie Ward, Michael Doleac) together with Shandon Anderson (signed through '06-07 for $23.7 million), Howard Eisley (owed $20.7 million through '06-07) Keith Van Horn ($30 million through '05-06), Clarence Weatherspoon ($12.2 million through '05-06) or Houston ($57 million through '06-07).

Two of the Knicks other potentially movable players, Kurt Thomas ($5.9 million) and Othella Harrington ($3.1 million), have contracts that expire after next season.