FLIP-FLOP ON KOBE - 紐約尼克 New York Knicks

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June 1, 2007 -- LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Isiah Thomas revealed yesterday he
began constructing trade offers to the Lakers on Wednesday afternoon when he
heard Kobe Bryant's emphatic trade demand.

The Knicks coach/president has backed off for now after Bryant flip-flopped
four times Wednesday.

"For the hour he was available [Wednesday], we all had a scenario and it
didn't take us long to figure out how we would get him," Thomas said
yesterday at the NBA pre-draft camp at the Milk House Arena at Walt Disney
World. "I'm sure every GM in the league had a scenario on how to get him."

If the Lakers were not interested in Stephon Marbury, Thomas likely would
have to string together a package of David Lee, Jamal Crawford, Channing Frye
and Malik Rose. Thomas said Eddy Curry would not be part of any package for
Bryant, his strongest indication of the Knicks center's untouchable status.

"We want to build around him . . . what he's doing and what he's going to
be," Thomas said of Curry. "There aren't many big men in the league like him.

"You try to add that player to somebody; you try to put them together,"
Thomas added. "For the one hour [Bryant] was leaving, you try to put him
together with someone he likes."

Thomas has not approached Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and won't unless further
developments occur in the Bryant soap opera.

The feeling around the league is the Knicks could be Bryant's top choice.
Bryant, who grew up in Philadelphia, invited Thomas and James Dolan to his
Newport Beach, Calif., palace during his free agency two summers ago,
telling them his desire of one day playing in the Big Apple.

The Knicks have a lot of pieces but perhaps not the one big piece that would
seize the Lakers' interest. The package the Knicks would offer would leave
them a subpar rebounding team, but it might not matter with Curry, Bryant and
Marbury as the Eastern Conference's most potent offensive trifecta.

It is appropriate that Thomas is spending this week only minutes from the
Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland.

"He's a great player," Thomas said of Bryant. "He's had a great career. Right
now he belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers. I had my one hour of fantasy,
walking down the aisle. The type or success he had with Shaq [O'Neal], you
hope he would have replicated it here [with Curry]."

Bryant can become a free agent after the 2008-2009 season. The Knicks could
be under the salary cap then because $47 million of salary will come off the
books with Marbury's, Steve Francis' and Malik Rose's deals ending.

Thomas has indicated he doesn't want to sign any more contracts that go past
2008-2009, which is why he's against adding a free agent this summer with the
mid-level exception.

"It's the healthiest we've been in a long time," Thomas said of the cap
situation. "We don't need to do anything to set ourselves back and we won't."

The buzz at pre-draft camp has the Kings shopping Ron Artest. Despite
Thomas' love of Artest's game, the Knicks appear to be mixed on him because
of his baggage.


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