Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Stephon Marbury would return to his hometown as part of a multiplayer trade tentatively agreed to Monday by the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, a source told The Associated Press.


The Knicks would acquire Marbury and Penny Hardaway from Phoenix for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, the rights to Milos Vujanic and cash, according to the source, who is close to one of the players and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.


Another source, close to one of the teams, said there were additional players involved.


The trade would be the fifth of Marbury's career. The Brooklyn native was drafted by Milwaukee and immediately traded to Minnesota, where he subsequently forced a trade to New Jersey.


The Nets sent him to Phoenix for Jason Kidd, and he now could be headed to the Knicks in the first major move made by new team president Isiah Thomas.


If the trade is finalized, it would represent a major shakeup of both teams. Phoenix, in exchange for its best player, would be gaining salary cap flexibility that would allow the Suns to rebuild a team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season after missing the postseason a year earlier.


The contracts of McDyess and Ward expire at the end of this season, and Ward has a buyout clause that can be exercised before Jan. 10.


Eisley is under contract for three more seasons; Vujanic, the starting point guard on the Yugoslavian team that won the 2002 World Championships, is playing in Europe.