CENTERING ON KWAME
By MARC BERMAN
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KNICK PICK: Knicks president Isiah Thomas would like to sign Kwame Brown (right) as the club's next center, but the Wizards might make it tough to get the restricted free agent.
Photo: AP
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July 2, 2005 -- Isiah Thomas has a new mantra: youth and size. Those watchwords will lead the Knicks in pursuit of 6-11 Kwame Brown, who became a restricted free agent yesterday.
On Thomas' wish list of free-agent centers, Brown, who spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Wizards after going from high school to the No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft, has the most upside but also is the least accomplished. The Knicks would need a sign-and-trade with the Wizards. Thomas reached out with a preliminary phone call to Washington GM Ernie Grunfeld, the former Knick boss.
A source in the Wizards' front office said Grunfeld fielded a half-dozen calls from teams interested in a sign-and-trade for Brown, who had an injury-wracked 2004-05 campaign, missing the first 37 games. The Wizards will field offers before deciding whether to re-sign Brown, who averaged 7.0 points and 4.9 rebounds last season, but was suspended during the playoffs for missing two workouts.
The Knicks have some trade assets, including two first-round picks next year. Grunfeld would have entertained an offer centering around Kurt Thomas, but he's now in Phoenix. Power forward Michael Sweetney played at Georgetown and used to dominate the MCI Center, but although a box-office attraction, he might be too undersized for Washington's liking. Sweetney would be expendable if the Knicks can sign Antoine Walker or Stromile Swift with the $5.1 million mid-level exception.
Former Georgetown forward Jerome Williams might be more to Grunfeld's taste and has the bigger salary to make a deal for Brown work snugly.
The Post reported Thomas' interest in Brown as a prospective free agent back on March 8. That night, Brown went 0-for-8 from the field at the Garden. After the game, Brown said New York could be a consideration, though he's from the much-smaller Charleston, S.C.
"D.C.'s a big city, so every option is open, but now I'm focusing on getting better," Brown said.
The underachieving former No. 1 pick has been knocked for his work ethic, but Thomas has the ego to think he can turn Brown's career around.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are making re-signing 7-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas a top priority. However, his agent Herb Rudoy said yesterday, "He's very interested in going to a different team, quite candidly."
Ilgauskas, 30, does not fit into Thomas' youth movement, but is the best center available. The Bulls, meanwhile, plan to lowball Eddy Curry because of his heart condition.
David Lee, the Knicks' pick at No. 30 in the first round Tuesday, signed his rookie contract and attended his first summer-league practice yesterday. Channing Frye and Nate Robinson missed the first three days of practice, but are expected to sign today.
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Pistons coach Larry Brown is out of the Mayo Clinic after a three-day stay and has holed up in his Hamptons summer home with no decision on his future expected until Monday at the earliest.
Brown's Long Island-based attorney, Joe Glass, spoke with Pistons president Joe Dumars yesterday and told him Brown will not need surgery but is waiting on tests. Brown won't coach next season with the same bladder condition. Glass said there's a "99.44" chance he will coach the Pistons if he coaches anywhere, but the Knicks are still waiting it out.
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I don't like the quote from Z's agent near the end of that story where he says "he's very interested in going to a different team."
Z won't get paid better than he will in Cleveland. The Cavs also aren't going to help him get his money through a sign and trade. I hope he's fine with getting paid the MLE. This is from a NY paper but it's still a direct quote from Rudoy, Z's agent.
