New York Times article.
Wizards Shopping Brown
Larry Hughes's announced defection from Washington to Cleveland could provide the Knicks with a new chance to pry center Kwame Brown from the Wizards. But landing Brown remains a long shot.
Hughes, the Wizards' starting off guard last season, agreed Friday to sign with the Cavaliers. Washington is inviting sign-and-trade offers for Brown, a restricted free agent, and will seek a shooting guard in return.
If the Knicks want Brown, it will cost them Quentin Richardson, according to an Eastern Conference team executive who has been briefed on the talks. The executive requested anonymity to avoid jeopardizing potential deals.
Richardson's salary, $6.3 million, makes him a good fit in a trade for Brown, who is expected to earn something in that price range in a new contract. But the Knicks just recently acquired Richardson, in a trade for Kurt Thomas, and would be reluctant to part with him while gambling on Brown. The first pick in the 2001 draft, Brown has yet to establish himself as a full-time starter.
The Wizards like Knicks forward Mike Sweetney, who played at Georgetown. But Sweetney's salary is too low and his potential too limited to make a deal work. The Knicks could balance salaries by placing Malik Rose ($6 million) or Jerome Williams ($6.1 million) in the deal, but the Wizards have no interest in either player.
With limited assets to offer in trades, and only the mid-level exception (about $5 million) to offer free agents, the Knicks may have to set their sights lower. Seattle's Jerome James and Phoenix's Steven Hunter are more realistic targets.
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Wizards Shopping Brown
Larry Hughes's announced defection from Washington to Cleveland could provide the Knicks with a new chance to pry center Kwame Brown from the Wizards. But landing Brown remains a long shot.
Hughes, the Wizards' starting off guard last season, agreed Friday to sign with the Cavaliers. Washington is inviting sign-and-trade offers for Brown, a restricted free agent, and will seek a shooting guard in return.
If the Knicks want Brown, it will cost them Quentin Richardson, according to an Eastern Conference team executive who has been briefed on the talks. The executive requested anonymity to avoid jeopardizing potential deals.
Richardson's salary, $6.3 million, makes him a good fit in a trade for Brown, who is expected to earn something in that price range in a new contract. But the Knicks just recently acquired Richardson, in a trade for Kurt Thomas, and would be reluctant to part with him while gambling on Brown. The first pick in the 2001 draft, Brown has yet to establish himself as a full-time starter.
The Wizards like Knicks forward Mike Sweetney, who played at Georgetown. But Sweetney's salary is too low and his potential too limited to make a deal work. The Knicks could balance salaries by placing Malik Rose ($6 million) or Jerome Williams ($6.1 million) in the deal, but the Wizards have no interest in either player.
With limited assets to offer in trades, and only the mid-level exception (about $5 million) to offer free agents, the Knicks may have to set their sights lower. Seattle's Jerome James and Phoenix's Steven Hunter are more realistic targets.
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