http://nytimes.com/2005/08/16/sports/basketball/16knicks.html

By HOWARD BECK
Published: August 16, 2005

Two years and two months removed from a knee operation that permanently warped the arc of his career, Allan Houston still is not ready to play basketball. His final day as a Knick may yet be on the horizon.

But that day was not Monday, despite widespread expectations that it would be.

Given a one-time option to avoid luxury taxes on a broken-down player, the Knicks waived forward Jerome Williams and gave Houston one more chance to salvage his career in New York. Williams, 32, is battling a number of ailments and is weighing several options, including retirement. Although Houston played just 20 games last season before returning to the injured list, and only 70 over the last two years, he is not ready to give up. "Just because I haven't been playing for a while does not mean my career is over, in my mind," he said yesterday.

That has been Houston's consistent message since the June 2003 surgery on his right knee. He has since battled chronic problems with his left knee as well. But he said he was making progress through physical therapy and he hoped to be part of the Knicks' hoped-for revival under their new coach, Larry Brown.

If his efforts fail, Houston, 34, said he would consider retirement. But he offered no timetable for making that determination.

"I just don't have it in my mind that I'm not going to be able to come back, honestly," he said.

Guarded as ever about his condition, Houston would say only that he is in better shape now than he was a year ago. He declined to elaborate.

"There are just things that I can do," he said. "I don't want to get into details about the training program. The tests we've gone through at this time are much better than they were in November."

Earlier in the day, in a radio interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the religiously devout Houston said he had been doing "a lot of praying" and concluded, "I think that God really wants me to be back."

Houston spent eight and a half months rehabilitating last year, then returned to the rotation in early December. His jump shot was as smooth as ever, but his gait was awkward and his limitations apparent.

Although Houston intends to return to full-time duty next season, he says he is not sure whether he will be a full participant when training camp opens in October.

But the Knicks are making a $40 million bet that Houston will eventually be back. Under the N.B.A.'s so-called amnesty provision, every team had a one-time option - which expired yesterday - to waive a player and not pay the luxury tax on his contract. Houston, owed nearly $40 million over the next two years, was considered such an obvious target that the option was commonly known as the "Allan Houston rule."

The Knicks, unwilling to cut a once-popular figure and see him resurface with a rival, ignored those expectations.

"He's really working hard," said Isiah Thomas, the team president. "He believes one day that he'll get back to his original form, and we want to give him every opportunity to do that."

In weighing the amnesty option, Thomas said "there was some discussion about Allan." The final decision to cut Williams instead was not made until Friday. Houston's friendship with James L. Dolan, the Cablevision chairman, played a role.

"The way Mr. Dolan handled it I think is the best way to do it," Houston said. "He's trusting me that basically I can do it."

But the team's philosophy regarding Houston has not changed. Thomas continues to plan as if Houston will not be available. He has traded for shooting guards in two straight summers, obtaining Jamal Crawford from Chicago and Quentin Richardson from Phoenix.

"If Allan wants to come back and was able to gain the form that we all know he's capable of reaching, then it's an added bonus," Thomas said.

The Knicks also have a glut of undersized power forwards, and Williams - who has knee problems of his own - was deemed expendable. By using the amnesty provision, the team will save $21.3 million in luxury taxes on the final three years of Williams's contract.

The team is offering Williams a job that could combine community work and player development. Williams is weighing that offer, as well as interest from at least three teams, said his agent, Lon Babby.

"It's not a bad position to be in, to be assured that kind of money," Babby said. Williams, who was known for his unbridled energy, knee-high socks and a penchant for barking on the court - flashing his alter-ego as the Junk Yard Dog - took the news in stride. "Jerome is surrounded by sunshine - how else can I say it?" Babby said. "He's the glass full, not half full."


[Edited by - Knight on 08-16-2005 12:28 AM]

Williams, 32, is battling a number of ailments and is weighing several options, including retirement

you can easily replace "williams" with "houston" and the difference is over $25 mil in savings.

this is spin control b/c we haven't heard ANY of that about jyd last season or all summer. hey, they chose jyd for their own reasons. that's fine, but bringing up his health, when it was never talked about when he got here is bogus.

dolan said no to waiving h20. so isiah's chose jyd. case closed.

plus, if JYD was considering retiring anyways, why not waive someone else. i mean, have jyd and houston retire, and use the AH rule on someone else.

excuse me all, but it's now officially dubbed the "mike finley" rule