ducks
06-27-2006, 12:08 PM
DOLAN AMUSED BY BROWN'S TRADE REQUESTS
By MARC BERMAN
June 27, 2006 -- Knicks owner James Dolan made a powerful case yesterday that Larry Brown's player personnel suggestions were irrational.
An impassioned Dolan revealed Brown wanted six players waived at season's end, including Stephon Marbury, and also wanted Isiah Thomas to sign 43-year-old ex-Knick Charles Oakley, who hadn't played since 2003-2004 when he bombed out in eight games with the Rockets.
Thomas laughed off the Oakley request, telling Brown the club was rebuilding and Oakley's presence would only take time away from rookie Channing Frye. Brown and his agent Joe Glass did not return phone messages.
After the 23-59 disaster, Brown told Thomas he wanted Marbury, Steve Francis and Jerome James cut, contracts totaling $180 million, including luxury tax. Brown also suggested trades for players that would have added another $100 million to the payroll, believed to include Denver's Kenyon Martin.
By then, Dolan had lost all faith in Brown's trading expertise following the Jalen Rose and Francis debacles.
"Both those trades I spoke to Larry directly," Dolan said angrily. "Both of those trades he was an advocate for. The first one, quote, I'm dying here, I got to have this guy, that's Jalen Rose. The second one, Steve Francis, he said, I'm begging you to do this. No less than three weeks after, that's 80 million worth of transactions, I was told these guys are no good, we have to get rid of them. How do I take that?"
So when Brown made his waive request and made more trade proposals in early May, Dolan was sick to his stomach. "How do I confidently go into that," Dolan said. "Even if I was sure he was right."
"(Brown) said we'd have to do all the trades to be any better and we needed to prove to him we wanted him as coach," Dolan added. "At that point I had real misgivings and could see us with him gone. I had signed him for $50 million. I was very motivated to keep him as coach."
Dolan said he couldn't get Brown to "acknowledge" one mistake, leading to Dolan's decision to withhold the $40 million in claiming he violated his contract. Dolan confirmed The Post's report Glass pushed for David Stern's name to be on the contract. Dolan said Stern knew about the clause. Glass has yet to file the appeal, according to Dolan.
Dolan's case seemed strong, but not his decision to let this drag on 40 days, letting Thomas' and Brown's feud fester publicly.
"There was nothing going on business-wise that we had to do it," Dolan said. "You all know me. I try not to make decisions by what the press says."
[email protected]
By MARC BERMAN
June 27, 2006 -- Knicks owner James Dolan made a powerful case yesterday that Larry Brown's player personnel suggestions were irrational.
An impassioned Dolan revealed Brown wanted six players waived at season's end, including Stephon Marbury, and also wanted Isiah Thomas to sign 43-year-old ex-Knick Charles Oakley, who hadn't played since 2003-2004 when he bombed out in eight games with the Rockets.
Thomas laughed off the Oakley request, telling Brown the club was rebuilding and Oakley's presence would only take time away from rookie Channing Frye. Brown and his agent Joe Glass did not return phone messages.
After the 23-59 disaster, Brown told Thomas he wanted Marbury, Steve Francis and Jerome James cut, contracts totaling $180 million, including luxury tax. Brown also suggested trades for players that would have added another $100 million to the payroll, believed to include Denver's Kenyon Martin.
By then, Dolan had lost all faith in Brown's trading expertise following the Jalen Rose and Francis debacles.
"Both those trades I spoke to Larry directly," Dolan said angrily. "Both of those trades he was an advocate for. The first one, quote, I'm dying here, I got to have this guy, that's Jalen Rose. The second one, Steve Francis, he said, I'm begging you to do this. No less than three weeks after, that's 80 million worth of transactions, I was told these guys are no good, we have to get rid of them. How do I take that?"
So when Brown made his waive request and made more trade proposals in early May, Dolan was sick to his stomach. "How do I confidently go into that," Dolan said. "Even if I was sure he was right."
"(Brown) said we'd have to do all the trades to be any better and we needed to prove to him we wanted him as coach," Dolan added. "At that point I had real misgivings and could see us with him gone. I had signed him for $50 million. I was very motivated to keep him as coach."
Dolan said he couldn't get Brown to "acknowledge" one mistake, leading to Dolan's decision to withhold the $40 million in claiming he violated his contract. Dolan confirmed The Post's report Glass pushed for David Stern's name to be on the contract. Dolan said Stern knew about the clause. Glass has yet to file the appeal, according to Dolan.
Dolan's case seemed strong, but not his decision to let this drag on 40 days, letting Thomas' and Brown's feud fester publicly.
"There was nothing going on business-wise that we had to do it," Dolan said. "You all know me. I try not to make decisions by what the press says."
[email protected]