Knicks trying to make Deals
NEW YORK -- The Knicks have been shopping Charlie Ward and Glen Rice for more than a week in a four-team deal that could materialize as early as Friday, the New York Post reported.
Awaiting the green light from Madison Square Garden boss James Dolan, whom Knicks GM Scott Layden met Thursday at an undisclosed, out-of-state location, the four-team swap would see Rice headed to Houston for Shandon Anderson and Ward going to the Warriors in exchange for Adonal Foyle, the newspaper reported. The Knicks would also land Howard Eisley from the Mavericks, who are trying to make room under their salary cap for free-agents like Tim Hardaway to change the face of the Knick lineup.
The deal is contingent on all four teams moving players around in tandem in a new tactic that has developed as general managers are getting creative in their ways around the salary cap.
Houston officials are concerned with Rice's health (foot), but the results of a physical there could put a dent in the deal, while Layden is trying to get Dolan's approval to pay Anderson (a free agent looking for $5.5 million a year) and Eisley (six years at $4.7 million per).
Rice's subtraction would free up $9 million a year for the next three for the Knicks, while changing the face of their lineup that has three players in Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Rice, who all play the same role.
Rice has not thrived in Jeff Van Gundy's practice-sensitive regime and his offensive numbers have suffered by not getting as many shots as the small-forward-tuned-power-forward has wanted. In Houston under Rudy Tomjonovich, practices are less vigorous and Rice could get more touches as an outside shooter and Houston's a team that usually goes inside.
Anderson is a post-up forward who can run the floor, while Eisley is a point guard. All along the Knicks have said that they would not trade for a point guard until they gave up one of their own.
The concern for Dolan and the Knicks remains whether they would be paying too much for younger players. Anderson, 26, is a free agent who wants more than the $5 million that Houston is offering to re-sign, while Eisley, 28, has six years left on his $36.7 million deal signed last year as a free agent that the Knicks would pick up. Rice's deal pays him $27 million over the next three seasons.
Ward, whose name has been bounced around often this summer because of the anti-Semetic remarks he made prior to the playoffs, is slated to make $5.6 million this year, plus two more seasons at $5.82 milliom and $6.28 million. In Foyle (3 years, $4.4 mil per), the Knicks would be getting a shot-blocking, rebounding backup center to spell the newly beefed-up Marcus Camby.
Previously, the Knicks have also been dangling Othella Harrington with Ward's name to make a deal more attractive to possible suitors, as Harrington is a bargain at $2.47 million per for two more years.
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