Isiah Thomas said the Knicks will find new talent. "Four first-round draft picks is something we didn't have a couple months ago," he said.
Isiah Thomas shipped out four more Knicks on Thursday to receive two forwards, draft picks and salary cap baggage in a desperate attempt to:
-- find a player, any player, who can be happy next to Mr. Grumpy Pants, Stephon Marbury;
-- create a wormhole in James Dolan's wallet large enough to suck the owner into a world far, far away;
-- divert attention from how Chris Webber, like Vince Carter before him, joined an Atlantic Division rival;
-- thoroughly repel future head coaches like Phil Jackson or Flip Saunders;
-- create an early severance package for himself as he sends the Knicks into Clipper territory.
There is probably no singular answer behind Thomas' unwieldy management style -- except for all of the above -- but the root of his troubles has become apparent: He is in the middle of an identity crisis, wondering who he is without the ball in his hand.
It was so easy for Thomas as a Hall of Fame player with a soothsayer's court vision. But as a manager of money and personnel in his point guard afterlife, Thomas has left ingloriously from Toronto, the Continental Basketball Association and the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks were supposed to be Thomas' makeup game when he was named president in December 2003, but he has never looked more confused about his own abilities than right now in implementing one contradictory move after another.
What are fans that pay the freight of the highest payroll in the league to believe?
When he arrived, Thomas insisted he would not tolerate a rebuilding process to get worse before turning better, because, as he said, "I'm stubborn."
Obviously, he has altered that self-evaluation, because he is now freely hinging the Knicks' future on draft picks of questionable quality after dealing Nazr Mohammed to San Antonio for forward Malik Rose.
"The way we're going to improve our team is basically through the draft," Thomas told reporters Thursday night.
Odd, but it was just two months ago when Thomas described obtaining the young Mohammed for Keith Van Horn in February 2004 as a deal "we had to do," later adding, "I wouldn't have done anything differently."
Again, that doesn't jibe with his actions. He continues to move those he once coveted to receive pieces currently discarded. In a separate deal Thursday, Thomas packaged Moochie Norris and Vin Baker to Houston for Maurice Taylor and picks.
It is hard to imagine Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy -- a man once ensnared by Dolan's pettiness -- sending the Knicks a player who would make them better.
Perhaps Thomas mistook one former Michigan player, Taylor, for the former leader of the Fab 5, Webber. Thursday night, Thomas promised he did not seek a deal for Webber, not wanting to take on such a massive contract.
He has said this before, but there is even inconsistency in Thomas' consistency. After Thomas was hired, he eagerly took a poke at former Madison Square Garden executives for building up a league-high US$86 million in salaries.
"I can't think of an organization that has been saddled with this kind of debt structure," Thomas said.
By the end of Thursday, Thomas had added another US$32 million in contracts on top of a US$103 million payroll without apologies to the debt-weary fans -- and, surely, Dolan's Cablevision subscribers -- who will have to absorb the Knicks' gilded patchwork team.
What is the upside of the downsizing of expectations? Obviously, Thomas can still spin everyone on the tip of his finger when he told reporters Thursday night, "Four first-round draft picks is something we didn't have a couple months ago," without truly conceding how potentially worthless they could be.
So, somehow, it seems appropriate that Thomas' conflicted approach to his lineup is led by the contradiction embodied by the sulking Marbury - a player with tremendous statistics at the heart of a team that is 22-33, a player with infinite skills who resorts to panicky jump passes in tight spots, a player who can do it all but has yet to get it done.
The acquisition of Marbury was the first of many "defining" trades -- is it already seven deals in 14 months? -- for Thomas.
But as Thomas has probably learned by now, Marbury hasn't made him better, either.
Each disappointment has only made Thomas more insecure as a manager. Each fizzled move has only made Thomas more unsure about how to save himself from himself.
Thursday, there were probably multiple reasons behind his contradictory decision to put the Knicks on path to what is likely a three-to-five-year rebuilding plan, but there is one root at the bottom of the chaos: the self-doubt of Thomas.
Kurt Thomas celebrated the passing of another uneventful NBA trading deadline -- at least for him -- by scoring 21 points on 10-for-11 shooting to lead the New York Knicks past the Philadelphia 76ers 113-101 on Thursday.
Thomas also grabbed 12 rebounds, and Tim Thomas shot 10-for-14 and scored 27 points for New York.
"If we play [power forward and center], it's going to be hell on people because we're such good shooters," Tim Thomas said. "It's going to force guys that aren't used to coming out of the paint to have to come out and try and contain us."
Philadelphia, which had only eight players in uniform -- none of them named Chris Webber -- was led by Allen Iverson's 29 points. Webber, acquired on Wednesday from Sacramento, will make his 76ers debut on Saturday against his old team, the Kings.
"I don't care who is on our basketball team," 76ers coach Jim O'Brien said. "Our team has to make a decision, at some point and time, that we are going to pay the price and be a good defensive basketball team."
Stephon Marbury had 17 points and 12 assists, and Jamal Crawford added 16 points and nine assists for New York.
Mavericks 122, Kings 113
In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and Michael Finley hit two vital 3-pointers in the closing minutes to help Dallas turn a late nine-point deficit into a victory over Sacramento.
Dallas, which played just eight players and lost one to an injury late in the third quarter, trailed 98-89 with 9:02 left before going on a 13-2 run. Nowitzki put them ahead for good on a short jumper with 4:39 to go, then Josh Howard followed with a dunk in transition that turned into a three-point play.
Marquis Daniels had season-highs with 29 points and eight assists, plus nine rebounds, and Finley added 22 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Mike Bibby and Cuttino Mobley each scored 26 for the Kings, who spoke earlier in the day about needing to forge a new identity without recently traded Chris Webber. Darius Songaila got off to a good start in his increased role by posting a career-high 23 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
Clippers 92, Timberwolves 86
In Los Angeles, Elton Brand scored 24 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat Minnesota and snap an eight-game losing streak.
The Clippers, returning from a 1-8 road trip that seriously jeopardized their playoff hopes, never trailed during their first win against the Timberwolves in 10 tries. Corey Maggette added 19 points for Los Angeles and Chris Kaman had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Garnett had 14 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota while playing just 32 minutes because of foul trouble. He played only four minutes in the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul with 8:20 left.
Sam Cassell, who missed the previous five games because of a strained right hamstring, had five points in 10 minutes for the Timberwolves.
The weak Atlantic Division in the NBA suddenly looks a little stronger, with Antoine Walker back with the Boston Celtics and Chris Webber on the Philadelphia 76ers by the trade deadline on Thursday.
A total of 11 deals involving 35 players were made in the final 24 hours before the cutoff.
Baron Davis was traded from New Orleans to Golden State for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis, while Keith Van Horn went from Milwaukee to Dallas for Calvin Booth and Alan Henderson, and Houston acquired several veterans to add to the league's oldest roster.
Walker went to Boston in a four-player trade, with Gary Payton, Michael Stewart, Tom Gugliotta and a No. 1 pick going to Atlanta.
Rodney Rogers and injured forward Jamal Mashburn were dealt from New Orleans to Philadelphia for Glenn Robinson, who has not played this season.
It was the second trade in a span of less than 24 hours by 76ers general manager Billy King, who pulled off a blockbuster on Wednesday by acquiring Webber from the Sacramento Kings for forwards Corliss Williamson, Brian Skinner and Kenny Thomas.
"They're going to probably win the Atlantic now," Cleveland's LeBron James said. "It's going to make them one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. I know [Allen] Iverson is very happy about it. I'm going to call him and tell him he got an early Christmas present."
In other deals:
-- San Antonio acquired center Nazr Mohammed and guard Jamison Brewer from New York for forward Malik Rose and two future No. 1 draft picks
-- Cleveland acquired guard Jiri Welsch from Boston for a future No. 1 pick.
-- New York acquired forward Maurice Taylor from Houston for guard Moochie Norris, forward Vin Baker and a second-round draft pick.
-- Houston got guard Mike James and center Zendon Hamilton from Milwaukee for guard Reece Gaines and two future second-round picks.
-- Golden State sent center Eduardo Najera to Denver, guard Luis Flores and a No. 1 pick to Denver for forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili and guard Rodney White.
-- Charlotte dealt veteran Steve Smith to Miami for forward Malik Allen.
None of Thursday's 10 deals -- making it the busiest deadline day for trades in a decade -- matched the magnitude of the six-player swap on Wednesday in which the 76ers got Webber and forwards Michael Bradley and Matt Barnes.
Webber was expected to play his first game for the Sixers on Saturday against, of all teams, Sacramento.
The Sixers are 26-27 and just a half-game behind Boston for first place in the Atlantic Division.
In the 76ers' other deal, the major principles -- Mashburn and Robinson -- are injured and have not played this season. Rogers can become a free agent at the end of the year, but his 3-point shooting fits nicely with coach Jim O'Brien's offensive philosophy.
Mashburn is making US$9.3 million this year and US$10.1 million next year, but seems likely to retire because of his knee injury.
Davis, a two-time All-Star who finished sixth in the NBA in scoring last season, will form a potent backcourt combination with Jason Richardson in Golden State. He has missed 36 games this season while struggling with several injuries and is still owed US$63 million over the next four years.
The ever-tinkering Dallas Mavericks made a surprising move in getting Van Horn, who has been hobbled all season by tendinitis in his right ankle.
He's averaged 17 points and 7.3 rebounds over a career that has included stints with the Nets, 76ers, Knicks and Bucks.
"Keith's versatility, experience and shooting ability were the factors for us to make this decision," said Donnie Nelson, Dallas' head of basketball operations.
Van Horn is due nearly US$16 million next season, while Henderson becomes a free agent and Booth is owed a little more than US$6 million. The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to spend the extra money on a contract extension for shooting guard Michael Redd, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
"I think what we've established is that Michael [Redd] is a piece to building a championship team," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said. "He has a skill that is unmatched [except] by maybe four or five players in the league."
Walker spent seven years with the Celtics from 1996-2003, helping them reach the Eastern Conference finals in 2001-2002. But nine days before the 2003-2004 season opener, Celtics basketball boss Danny Ainge traded Walker to Dallas.
Walker was leading Atlanta with 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 40.2 minutes.
Payton, a nine-time All-Star, reluctantly came to Boston last summer after the Los Angeles Lakers traded him in the aftermath of their Shaq-and-Kobe breakup. He is averaging 12.1 points and 6.1 assists this season, below his career averages of 17.7 and 7.2. The trades of Payton and Welsch leave the Celtics to rely on youngsters Tony Allen and Marcus Banks to flank All-Star Paul Pierce.
The trades made by the Rockets will provide two veteran backcourt options for the rest of the season and short-term relief for the back injury that is expected to sideline starter Bob Sura for another week.
James, a four-year veteran, appeared in 47 games for Milwaukee and averaged 11.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Norris was averaging 2.6 points and 1.3 assists for New York.
For the San Antonio Spurs, the acquisition of Mohammed provides an additional option at center behind Rasho Nesterovic and at power forward behind Tim Duncan.
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