Marbury leaves kncks

PHOENIX, Nov. 14 (AP) -- Stephon Marbury has left the New York Knicks and there is no word on when, or even if, he might rejoin the team.

Marbury was absent from the team's morning shootaround, and failed to show up when the Knicks played the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Coach Isiah Thomas would only confirm Marbury had left and that the guard would be welcome back.

"That is an in-house matter, and we'll continue to keep it in-house,'' Thomas said after the shootaround. "However, he is welcome back, and we want him as a member of this team.''

WNBC New York and The New York Post reported Marbury contacted them electronically to say he had Thomas' permission to leave the team.

"I would never leave my team on my own,'' Marbury told The Post. "What I'm telling you is that I got permission to leave from Isiah. He said I could go home.''

Thomas would not confirm that he allowed Marbury to leave. In fact, the Knicks' coach avoided the subject altogether in his meeting with reporters before the Suns' game.

"We'll talk about the Phoenix Suns and the game at hand,'' he said. "Whatever matters we have in-house we'll try to keep in-house.''

The Post reported on its Web site that Marbury had flown back to New York and did not plan to join the team in Los Angeles for its game against the Clippers on Wednesday night.

Marbury's absence followed a story in Tuesday's New York Daily News indicating the Knicks were trying to reduce his role or get rid of him. A trade seems unlikely, because Marbury is scheduled to earn $42 million over the next two seasons.

Several of Marbury's teammates said his departure took them by surprise, but they expressed no hard feelings.

"You always support your teammates,'' forward Jared Jeffries said. "A lot of people on the outside don't understand what guys go through with their family, their friends, with this team, with anything. Whenever somebody goes through a tough time you support your teammate.''

Mardy Collins got the start in Marbury's place, but said he would love to have him back.

"Yeah, definitely. He's been nothing but good to me ever since I've been here. There's not a bad thing I can say about Steph,'' Collins said. "Whatever happens, happens. I'm just here and whenever my number is called, I go out there and compete.''

At the shootaround, Thomas said this was not the first time this kind of incident has happened.

"It seems like he and I go through this every November, then a couple of weeks go by and we kind of kiss and make up, then we go back to the business of trying to win basketball games.''

Following a contentious relationship with former coach Larry Brown, Marbury soon learned playing for Thomas would not be any easier.

Early last season, Marbury found himself spending extended time on the bench in the second half of games, including some in which he didn't start the third period.

"... Make no mistake about it, if I don't get exactly what I want, then there'll be consequences,'' Thomas said then.

As president of the Knicks, Thomas brought Marbury back to his hometown in 2004 and the two seemed to be close. That changed, however, when Thomas also became the head coach last season.

"My relationship as a coach is definitely a different relationship as president,'' Thomas said. "When you're coaching, I don't think there's a player that I've ever coached that hasn't at some point in time not liked me. But that's what coaching's all about.''

LAkerfan wrote:I don't know how well he would fit in boston after his fallout with KG when they were on the wolves. Plus he never really has been able to move the ball real well, he's too busy lookin for his shot. I think cleveland would be a good fit though, It would give Lebron some help, and if marbury doesnt pass, Lebron will find a way to get the ball.

Not that it was ever considered, but one can nix a possible deal to Cleveland for Knicks guard Stephon Marbury before the Internet rumors swirl any further. When asked about Marbury, Cavaliers forward LeBron James said, ''I couldn't have a guy like that on my team.''

LAkerfan wrote:I guess he isnt goin to cleveland...

Not that it was ever considered, but one can nix a possible deal to Cleveland for Knicks guard Stephon Marbury before the Internet rumors swirl any further. When asked about Marbury, Cavaliers forward LeBron James said, ''I couldn't have a guy like that on my team.''

Morning-Journal

So Marbury's weak defense won't kill Miami like it kills the Knicks. The Knicks don't have the shot blockers to back up guards that can't contain penetration, but Miami, with Shaq and Zo, do. As for Marbury's well-documented problems with teammates and coaches, I don't think that'd be an issue in Miami. First, Pat Riley has been successful with reclamation projects, getting team play from formerly selfish malcontents like Williams, Antoine Walker and Ricky Davis. Things also worked out with Gary Payton, who I won't put in the same category as the other three. Second, Shaq and Zo are strong personalities who won't let Marbury come in and tear up their locker room. He'll have to respect them.Third, Marbury will understand that he's not the best player on the team. It'll be easier for him to accept being a role player in Miami behind Wade and Shaq.

The most obvious trade partner for the Knicks is the Sacramento Kings, their opponent tomorrow night. The Kings are in disarray and would like to move some bodies to get closer to a new start. I'm sure the Kings' management would like to trade guard Mike Bibby and forward Ron Artest, but I doubt either will enter the conversation in a trade for Marbury. Both Bibby and Artest have contracts that expire in the summer of '09 already, so there's no advantage gained in moving them for another contract with the same end point. But the Kings are in no short supply of underperforming players with big contracts, and they would be happy to move some combination of center Brad Miller or forwards Kenny Thomas and Sharif Abdur-Rahim. Each is on the books until 2010. So moving them for a deal that ends sooner should be attractive to Kings' GM Geoff Petrie.

Portland is another viable trading partner. Indicative of how much dead weight was on the Blazers roster, GM Kevin Pritchard has been wheeling and dealing since he got there, and there are still players he'd probably like to move. Portland could move center Raef LaFrentz, whose contract expires in '09, and swingman Darius Miles, whose deal runs until '10, for Marbury. This might do some good for both teams. Miles is a player who has played well in his first year with each of his new teams. Also coming off of microfracture knee surgery, the word on the grapevine is that the one-time knucklehead has finally matured during his recovery process. Reuniting him with Knicks swingman Quentin Richardson (his best friend from his early days in the league with the Los Angeles Clippers) might pay dividends. LaFrentz's contract will give the Knicks some cap relief earlier than acquiring Miller or one of the Kings forwards would. Meanwhile, this would give the Trail Blazers a dream scenario, a contending young team with scads of cap room to spend on a first tier free agent.

Milwaukee and Indiana are less likely suitors, as they have bad deals to move. But it would be harder to make the salaries balance out for a deal.

LAkerfan wrote:

So Marbury's weak defense won't kill Miami like it kills the Knicks. The Knicks don't have the shot blockers to back up guards that can't contain penetration, but Miami, with Shaq and Zo, do. As for Marbury's well-documented problems with teammates and coaches, I don't think that'd be an issue in Miami. First, Pat Riley has been successful with reclamation projects, getting team play from formerly selfish malcontents like Williams, Antoine Walker and Ricky Davis. Things also worked out with Gary Payton, who I won't put in the same category as the other three. Second, Shaq and Zo are strong personalities who won't let Marbury come in and tear up their locker room. He'll have to respect them.Third, Marbury will understand that he's not the best player on the team. It'll be easier for him to accept being a role player in Miami behind Wade and Shaq.

- ESPN.com

Marbury is furious he is not starting (Fred Jones started), especially with Mardy Collins out, and his relationship with Isiah Thomas still is strained. He has told confidants he doesn't think he can adjust to a bench role because he's so unaccustomed to it. The Knicks weren't sure Marbury was returning yesterday until they read he was on his way on the Post's Web site in the morning. As for his demands regarding Marbury, Thomas said, “I'm not going to settle for us being the same type of basketball team we were last year. The first five, six games of what I saw last year, I want to put a stop to it early in the season." Thomas all but condoned Marbury's actions and by doing so he alienated some of his most loyal supporters inside the Knicks' divided locker room. Yahoo! Sports reported that Thomas asked Jamal Crawford to poll the players on whether Marbury should play, and that even though they voted unanimously to bench Marbury, Thomas overruled the decision, which furthered angered the players. Afterward, the tension in the locker room was palpable. There hasn't been this much grumbling among Knick players since Don Nelson made Anthony Mason, and not Patrick Ewing, the focal point of the offense 12 years ago. A league source said the Knicks still were discussing whether to go through officially with the fine and file the paperwork with the Players' Association. If they don't fine him, then Marbury's claim to The Post that he was given permission by Thomas to go home carries more weight. If that's the case, it begs the question on why Thomas would give Marbury permission to leave at the start of a huge four-game West Coast trip.

On another side, Stephon Marbury, one of the Knicks' tri-captains, explained his one-game hissy fit, then return via his third cross-country flight in three days thusly: "I feel good. I'm cool. I can walk with my head up." His most telling remark, though, came in answer to a question about whether he'd accept continuing to come off the bench, as he did Wednesday for the first time as a Knick. "If that's the role that I have to play while I'm here, that's what I'll do," he said. "While I'm here" -- a line that suggests his eventual departure.

There has been some speculation floated out there that the Blazers could become involved in helping the New York Knicks unload disgruntled Stephon Marbury in exchange for the bloated contracts of Darius Miles and Raef LaFrentz. Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard chuckled at the idea on Thursday, saying he could bring up the "C-word" (culture) as a reason, but instead, he opted to comment on the current team. "At this time, we like what we have, and who we are. And we are playing well,'' Pritchard said. "I don't see any trade being imminent. These guys are bonding like we wanted them to, and we want to see what develops.''Another source on the Blazers also chuckled at the notion of Marbury becoming a Blazer, saying the only way the Blazers would even look at taking on Marbury would be if the Knicks involved David Lee in the deal. And that is not going to happen.

And then there are the regenerated Boston Celtics. Yes, it’s hard to fathom that GM Danny Ainge would tinker with what he has going on there now after the club had been so abysmal for so long. The trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen seem to be working smoothly, and Rajon Rondo is an effective point guard. But Marbury could work there exceedingly well, as long as he wants to. If Marbury is determined to go somewhere and be Starbury, there’s no chance. Yet if he takes a reality check and realizes that the ideal place for him is on a club where he can blend in with other stars and not have to serve as the flash point, then his contributions off the bench in points and assists would be embraced and appreciated. Remember, Marbury’s most electrifying days in the NBA came when he was teamed with Garnett in Minnesota.