http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/22059.htm

KNICKS UNLIKELY TO MAKE MOVE BEFORE DEADLINE

By MARC BERMAN

No Knicks will be in Denver for All-Star Weekend, not even Isiah Thomas.

Thomas overshadowed All-Star Sunday last February in L.A. when he pulled off the three-team blockbuster that made Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed Knicks. Isiaheven held the press conference in the Staples Center prior to tip-off.

Isiah will skip the Denver soiree — a haven for trade talks — to do college scouting — a sign of the times. Isiah has given off strong signals he's not optimistic of making a deal by Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

"I don't think he's really trying to do anything," a league official familiar with Thomas' thinking said. "He's looking to ride this out."

Isiah would preferably like to add a young player, but knows he'll have greater flexibility this summer in a sign-and-trade when young players such as Washington center Kwame Brown become restricted free agents. At this point, because younger players are on their rookie contracts, Isiah can't match up salaries since he's unwilling to deal Michael Sweetney or Trevor Ariza. Hence, if the Knicks got a young player, they'd have to also take back another body presumably with a bad contract for, say, Kurt Thomas.

Isiah has shown interest in Toronto's Donyell Marshall, Eric Williams and Jalen Rose but talks have not amounted to anything close to a deal. Isiah's best chance at Antoine Walker, who said in November the Knicks are on his radar, is summer.

Sweetney, meanwhile, said of his untouchable status, "It shows he has faith in me and wants to stick with me. I read it but I also feel it."

*

The Larry Brown "Dream Job" story in The Post continues to follow the Pistons coach around. The Long Beach native, who faces the Knicks Tuesday out of the break, was asked by Philly reporters hadn't he once said the Sixers were his last job. "When I signed, yeah, I stayed six years," Brown said. "In New York, Isiah mentioned my name. I've got ties in New York. I made this comment 20 years ago that New York was my dream job. They didn't put 20 years ago. Just like my dream job at one time was North Carolina.". . . Sports Illustrated's midseason report named an All Red-Ink Team. Three of the five players were Knicks — Penny Hardaway ($14.6M), Allan Houston ($17.5M) and Tim Thomas ($12M).

Good.

I wouldn't be against this either. Let's ride it out. I am already numb anyway. Might as well get the most ping pong balls we can get. Bogut, Tiago Splitter, Fran Vazquez, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Chris Taft, Nemanja Aleksandrov. Anyone would do as long as Zeke is the one picking.

I say,ride this out also, but I would love to do so, with an additional pick in hand...

Posted by EnySpree:

I'm all for anything.....I just want to go all out if Isiah decides to rebuild or just try to win now.

I'm still all for a Jalen Rose/ Marshall trade to get rid of Timmy and have Rose become the starting three and Marshall become the starting 4......I'm also all for making any other quick fix upgrade to the roster.

If we are gonna rebuild......then trade KT, try to throw Nazr and Baker out too. Try to get as much trade exemption or draft picks as possible. Dive into the draft and make smart signings this off-season while patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to dump Timmy and Penny off.......ot just let them melt off the cap like butter.

Either way I want to dive into if full steam. This season is basically trash so rebuilding with the draft makes more sense.

[Edited by - enyspree on 02/18/2005 13:21:29]

I would do the Rose trade, but only to bring in Donyell as well. That trade COULD happen, but Toronto would have to get shut out this weekend and call Isiah desperately Tuesday morning.

I'd also pursue the KT to San Antonio for Malik and a pick deal, but it seems like it won't happen. I'd think San Antonio would be into it, but I think Zeke doesn't want to appear to give up on the season by trading away the guy who is realistically the second best player this season with how much Jamal has been injured.

It's a good sign that Zeke is scouting college hoops though. That bodes very well for the summer and next year.