Rich
Posts: 27410
Alba Posts: 6
Joined: 12/30/2003
Member: #511 USA
|
http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/25508.htm
KNICKS WOULD TAKE PIPPEN TO GET CRAWFORD
By MARC BERMAN July 22, 2004 -- With the Erick Dampier sign-and-trade hitting a roadblock, Knicks president Isiah Thomas revisited his bid to nail down Jamal Crawford from the Bulls in a multi-player package and his latest proposal asked that the washed-up Scottie Pippen be included, The Post has learned.
Pippen would replace either Jerome Williams or Eddie Robinson in the package. Thomas was looking for a compromise for taking Moochie Norris' fat contract out of the offer and replacing him with Cezary Trybanski, who is in his final year.
Meanwhile, Thomas and Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens met yesterday with their own free agent, Vin Baker, who's drawn interest from the Cavaliers. However, Baker's first choice is the Knicks and his re-signing could be imminent.
The Bulls are desperate to unload Williams and Robinson's long-term deals and probably won't want to part with Pippen, who's in the last year of his contract, making $5.4M. The former Michael Jordan sidekick played just 23 games this season, averaging 5.9 points in an injury-wracked season. With the $65 million Isiah Thomas is offering Dampier, the Knicks have become far and away his first choice.
Dampier, who could become the Knicks' most dominant center since Ewing patrolled the Garden paint, was back home in Jackson, Miss., having lunch with his business manager and hoping Thomas, agent Dan Fegan and Warriors GM Chris Mullin could work a sign-and-trade that would make him a Knick this week.
"He's waiting to see if anything can be worked out between the Knicks and Warriors," said Ed Jones, who runs Dampier's kids foundation.
Fegan flew into New York from Los Angeles late Tuesday night to meet with the Knicks president to try to figure out how to rearrange a trade package. They may have to add a third under-the-cap team to absorb one of the Knicks' contracts.
The Crawford talks seem a stronger option than Dampier. The Bulls were willing to take Frank Williams, Othella Harrington, Dikembe Mutombo and Shandon Anderson for Crawford, Williams and Robinson before Isiah pulled Mutombo from the deal, adding Norris.
Super agent Aaron Goodwin, who represents Crawford, will be in New York today for a LeBron James function and hopes to meet with Thomas about Crawford and his client Baker.
Knowing Dampier doesn't have another option on his plate other than sign for the $4.9 million mid-level exception, the Hawks reportedly are only willing to give Dampier a three-year deal, so the 6-11, 265-pound center has temporarily scratched them off his list.
Mullin's acquisition Tuesday of Dale Davis in a trade for Nick Van Exel put a stick of dynamite in the Knicks' dream of getting Dampier in a sign-and-trade for Nazr Mohammed and Harrington.
Though Thomas has told aides he was surprised by Mullin's maneuver, he did not feel talks with Golden State were "dead."
|