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joec32033
Posts: 30615
Alba Posts: 37
Joined: 2/3/2004
Member: #583
USA
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Isiah seeks to score Donyell and Jalen for Kurt and Penny
BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
TORONTO - Isiah Thomas' month-long pursuit of Donyell Marshall and Jalen Rose has finally reached a point where the Knicks and Raptors are discussing a deal that would send Kurt Thomas and Penny Hardaway to Toronto.
According to a league source, Thomas and Rob Babcock, the Raptors general manager, exchanged phone calls yesterday in an attempt to hammer out a deal that would represent Thomas' first major roster move since he acquired Jamal Crawford from the Bulls in August.
More importantly, the deal would also change the way the Knicks play since Marshall, who would play power forward, is regarded as a perimeter player. The 6-11 Marshall had six 3-pointers in Monday's win over Minnesota and is averaging 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 24.1minutes.
The under-rated Marshall, who has even played center for Toronto this season, is the player who interests Thomas most. However, Rose is also a proven scorer, averaging 14.9 points in 28.9 minutes. He also has a reputation of being a disruptive presence in the locker room, which is why Indiana, with Thomas as its coach, traded Rose three years ago.
The success of both the Phoenix Suns and Seattle Sonics has apparently encouraged Thomas to adopt a smaller and quicker style. The theory is that if the Knicks can spread the floor with shooters - Crawford, Marshall and Allan Houston - it would maximize Stephon Marbury's ability to penetrate and pass.
The one major risk is that the Knicks would be sacrificing defense. Kurt Thomas, a natural power forward, is the team's best low-post defender. He is also effective in playing the pick-and-roll game that is Marbury's strength. Isiah Thomas, however, may be convinced that unproven second-year forward Michael Sweetney is ready to play significant minutes.
Marshall, who is also coveted by Minnesota, is in the final year of his contract that will pay him $5 million. Marshall's agent, Andy Miller, refused to comment yesterday when asked about the possibility of the UConn product being traded to New York.
Rose is making $14.4 million, $15.9 million next year and $16.5 million in 2006-07. The Raptors have been looking to move his contract since last summer. The same is true of the Knicks and Hardaway, who asked to be traded two weeks ago and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Hardaway's contract expires after next season.
Rose and Isiah Thomas had a famous falling out when Thomas coached the Pacers. Rose who has since cleared the air with Thomas, reminded reporters that his relationship with Thomas dates back to when Rose was growing up in Detroit and Thomas played for the Pistons.
"At the end of the day, he wasn't the GM or the president of Indiana," Rose said. "Ultimately, he didn't make the decision to trade me."
Rose, however, is represented by renowned agent David Falk, who is an archenemy of Thomas. Falk publicly criticized Thomas last season after Thomas traded away another Falk client, Keith Van Horn. Former Knick Dikembe Mutombo said that Falk warned him last season that once Thomas became Knicks president he would look to trade the veteran center because of a strained relationship with the agent that dates back to Thomas' days as union president.
Last season, Mutombo and Thomas also had a disagreement. Thomas had suggested to Mutombo that he take some time off - "a vacation," the center called it - and rejoin the team right before the playoffs were to begin. Mutombo refused to take a forced leave of absence and was eventually traded to Chicago in the Crawford deal and then was rerouted to Houston.
I defintaely wouldn't mind this deal...get rid of KT's contact and Penny's...we take on Marshall, but as a FA at the end of the year, we a are basically wiping Dirty KT's deal off the books....Still think that this deal is a precursor to a bigger deal involving TT and Nazr or TT and SOMEONE....
Nazr/
Sweetney/Marshall/JYD
TT/Rose/Ariza
Craw/Allan
Marbury/Brewer
..plus Rose can be used to spell Marbury.....
We do this dealTyhis will establish an IDENTITY...something we have been clamoring for for a while....we will look to play like a PHX or Dalla....more running...I prefer defensive teams but trying to play defense with offensive players is just not qworking, IMO...
~You can't run from who you are.~
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