captain bill
All-Star
By STEVE ADAMEK
STAFF WRITER
Maybe it's the Chicago upbringing they share or just Isiah Thomas' affinity for players who drive other coaches and executives crazy, despite their obvious talent, such as Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury.
Whatever the reason, the Knicks' president clearly has something for Boston's Antoine Walker, whom he is again pursuing this off-season after failing in his quest for the three-time All-Star last summer.
Walker's Chicago-based agent, Mark Bartelstein, acknowledged Monday that he and Thomas have talked about some "conceptual" ideas to bring Walker to New York. Translation: sign-and-trade scenarios, something Bartelstein has acknowledged trying to broker for Walker with other teams, including Sacramento.
The agent wouldn't specify which players have been discussed and said "nothing's imminent." Yet each team's off-season philosophy suggests a deal is doable if Thomas also fulfills his desire for another big man by taking the sizeable contract of either Mark Blount (five years left at $33.7 million) or Raef LaFrentz (four, $45.4 million) off his division rival's payroll.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are reportedly seeking soon-to-expire contracts if they do deal - which the Knicks have in their own feast-or-famine forward, Tim Thomas (one year, almost $14 million), plus forward Maurice Taylor (two years, $18.85 million).
They're also willing to deal power forward Michael Sweetney (two years, $4.8 million), as well as the far less appealing contracts (and health) of Penny Hardaway (one year, $15.75 million) and Allan Houston (two years, almost $40 million).
How such a deal would get done and what players would be included to balance the salary-cap issues depends on what Walker is paid. Bartelstein expects it to be beyond the $5.1 million salary-cap exception, which is all the Knicks have to pursue a free agent directly, without a sign-and-trade.
That, though, is how Thomas acquired Crawford last summer from Chicago and was attempting to procure Walker from Dallas before the Mavericks pulled out when Steve Nash left for Phoenix.
"A lot of people are interested," said Bartelstein, who brokered the sign-and-trade deal that sent All-Star center Brad Miller to Sacramento from Indiana two years ago. "Isiah and I have talked ... and thrown some things around."
Meanwhile Bartelstein said another of his clients, Suns free agent center Steven Hunter, remains on the Knicks' radar screen, where other big men such as Seattle's Jerome James and Memphis' Stromile Swift still float.
A sign-and-trade for Washington's Kwame Brown, however, almost certainly would have to include a shooting guard such as Crawford or the just-acquired Quentin Richardson after the Wizards lost incumbent guard Larry Hughes to Cleveland last week.
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/36608/20050712/isiah_has_his_sights_on_celts_walker/
Walker's agent mentioning talks again...more name dropping of Sacramento...Walker landing somewhere else?
STAFF WRITER
Maybe it's the Chicago upbringing they share or just Isiah Thomas' affinity for players who drive other coaches and executives crazy, despite their obvious talent, such as Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury.
Whatever the reason, the Knicks' president clearly has something for Boston's Antoine Walker, whom he is again pursuing this off-season after failing in his quest for the three-time All-Star last summer.
Walker's Chicago-based agent, Mark Bartelstein, acknowledged Monday that he and Thomas have talked about some "conceptual" ideas to bring Walker to New York. Translation: sign-and-trade scenarios, something Bartelstein has acknowledged trying to broker for Walker with other teams, including Sacramento.
The agent wouldn't specify which players have been discussed and said "nothing's imminent." Yet each team's off-season philosophy suggests a deal is doable if Thomas also fulfills his desire for another big man by taking the sizeable contract of either Mark Blount (five years left at $33.7 million) or Raef LaFrentz (four, $45.4 million) off his division rival's payroll.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are reportedly seeking soon-to-expire contracts if they do deal - which the Knicks have in their own feast-or-famine forward, Tim Thomas (one year, almost $14 million), plus forward Maurice Taylor (two years, $18.85 million).
They're also willing to deal power forward Michael Sweetney (two years, $4.8 million), as well as the far less appealing contracts (and health) of Penny Hardaway (one year, $15.75 million) and Allan Houston (two years, almost $40 million).
How such a deal would get done and what players would be included to balance the salary-cap issues depends on what Walker is paid. Bartelstein expects it to be beyond the $5.1 million salary-cap exception, which is all the Knicks have to pursue a free agent directly, without a sign-and-trade.
That, though, is how Thomas acquired Crawford last summer from Chicago and was attempting to procure Walker from Dallas before the Mavericks pulled out when Steve Nash left for Phoenix.
"A lot of people are interested," said Bartelstein, who brokered the sign-and-trade deal that sent All-Star center Brad Miller to Sacramento from Indiana two years ago. "Isiah and I have talked ... and thrown some things around."
Meanwhile Bartelstein said another of his clients, Suns free agent center Steven Hunter, remains on the Knicks' radar screen, where other big men such as Seattle's Jerome James and Memphis' Stromile Swift still float.
A sign-and-trade for Washington's Kwame Brown, however, almost certainly would have to include a shooting guard such as Crawford or the just-acquired Quentin Richardson after the Wizards lost incumbent guard Larry Hughes to Cleveland last week.
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/36608/20050712/isiah_has_his_sights_on_celts_walker/
Walker's agent mentioning talks again...more name dropping of Sacramento...Walker landing somewhere else?
