How to fix the Knicks
Sunday, April 16, 2006

By STEVE ADAMEK


Mankind landed on the moon, cured countless fatal diseases and changed the way we live with the invention of the computer chip.

Pish-posh. Let's see mankind try to fix the Knicks, the sporting equivalent of Sisyphus pushing his rock up the hill.

Isiah Thomas, Scott Layden and a collection of coaches have tried to keep that rock from rolling back toward them since the team last won a playoff game (April 29, 2001), to no avail.

Now, with the Knicks this week completing the franchise's worst season in almost two decades, a Big Fix is almost mandatory this off-season.

Yet, as one longtime NBA executive said of altering the Knicks' salary-bloated roster (projected payroll for next season: $125 million), "It won't be easy," and as another said, "Who do they have that other teams really want?"

Based on those discussions and ones with other league officials during the course of this season, the Knicks could, may and can make some significant moves this off-season.

One assumption, though: Thomas and Brown both stay, even though Denver general manager (and former Knick) Kiki Vandeweghe could be a free agent this summer and Brown could cite his resurfacing health issues (and ones with Thomas) to walk away from another job.

# Trade Stephon Marbury. "It'll be very hard to trade Marbury, unless [another] team is a little desperate," one GM said. "No team is going to take him on unless you get a bad contract or contracts back."

Hello, Timberwolves.

"They could be desperate," the GM said.

To send Marbury back to Minnesota (or elsewhere) would certainly require the kind of "addition by subtraction" move Indiana almost made with Ron Artest before dealing him for free agent-to-be Peja Stojakovic -- trading a seemingly more talented player for lesser talent.

"I think if your back's against the wall, you might [do that]," Pacers' president Donnie Walsh said.

Certainly the Knicks and T-Wolves (after two non-playoff seasons) feel that wall. Plus, Minnesota has the requisite bad contracts to make a salary-cap match: Ricky Davis (two years, $13.2 million left), Mark Blount (four years, $28.2 million), Troy Hudson (four years, $24.5 million), Marko Jaric (five years, $32.9 million) and Trenton Hassell (three years, $13.05 million).

Three of those or two plus a $4.2 million trade exception the Wolves own get the job done -- slightly less if they'd prefer Steve Francis.

If not Minnesota, then perhaps Portland, certain to houseclean after its bottom-feeding season. The Blazers suspended Thomas-favorite Darius Miles (four years, $34 million) for the rest of the season Thursday for leaving the bench at halftime.

They also wouldn't mind unloading Brown-favorite Theo Ratliff (two years, $23.3 million), plus power forward Zach Randolph (five years, $73.3 million) -- and could even sweeten the pot with Marbury's cousin, Sebastian Telfair.

Or the Knicks could call Philadelphia and see if Marbury could help reunite Brown and Allen Iverson.

# Trade Francis: "He'll be unbelievably difficult to trade," an exec said of a player due $48.7 million over the next three seasons (about $12 million less than Marbury). Yet, the Knicks actually could find a way to dump both high-priced guards.

Changes are coming in Indiana, GM Larry Bird said last week, and, although neither he nor Walsh will say, they'll almost certainly begin with Jermaine O'Neal.

He's worn on the organization, but played for Thomas in Indy. The Pacers also need a point guard, as they're also down on New York native Jamaal Tinsley and now start career backup Anthony Johnson.

If the Knicks are willing to surrender Channing Frye (see below), something could work with Francis.

# KG to N.Y.? Take all of the above, stir and produce a three-way: Francis to Indiana, O'Neal and Marbury to Minnesota and Kevin Garnett to New York, plus all the salary-cap froufrou needed to make that work.

Getting two presumably premier players in return is probably the only way Garnett goes, so it's worth the phone calls.

# Bye-Frye: "They really have only one commodity, Channing Frye, that people would like," one GM said. Which means, smitten as the Knicks are with him, he's their trade facilitator -- and redundant if the Knicks get Garnett or O'Neal.

If not in some kind of Marbury or Francis deal, he could be packaged with the expiring contracts of Jalen Rose or Maurice Taylor for the kind of role player Brown seeks, perhaps a pure point guard. Or Al Harrington, in a sign-and-trade deal.

# Movin' on up: They traded a possible top-three pick in this draft to Chicago in the Eddy Curry deal (plus a chance for the Bulls to flip-flop No. 1 picks in a 2007 draft expected to be far stronger than this year's), so the Knicks are stuck with Denver's first-rounder (in the 20 range) and San Antonio's (near- or dead-last).

Offering those two for one pick higher up is worth exploring. Packaging a veteran with one or both (to Toronto, for instance, where new GM Bryan Colangelo says he has enough young 'uns) is another.

Et cetera: Nate Robinson, don't renew that lease. Seattle would grab you for a bag of hair. If Jerome James leaves, it's via a buyout, not a trade. Jackie Butler could be a decent (albeit cheap) throw-in to fill out any deal, as could David Lee.

Jamal Crawford (who almost went to Orlando in the Francis deal) and Quentin Richardson (like Crawford, a Brown favorite) are pricey, but certainly not untouchable.

After this meltdown of a season, who should be?