Knicks Walsh pursuing Warriors' Harrington
BY ALAN HAHN | [email protected]
November 7, 2008
GREENBURGH, N.Y. - The Knicks are among about a half-dozen teams that have made inquiries about 6-9 forward Al Harrington, who is awaiting a trade from the Golden State Warriors.
Harrington publicly asked for a trade just before the start of the season, and after he played only 16 minutes in Wednesday's win over Denver, Warriors coach Don Nelson said the disgruntled Harrington will be moved. "If there's a trade to be made," Nelson told reporters after the game, "we'll make it."
A league source told Newsday that Warriors executive Chris Mullin received a call from Knicks president Donnie Walsh a week ago and Mullin told Walsh he'd get back to him. Warriors president Robert Rowell is handling the Harrington situation, however, and Rowell has not gotten back to the Knicks about what he would want in return for Harrington, an athletic player who would fit well in Mike D'Antoni's system.
While president of the Indiana Pacers, Walsh drafted Harrington out of St. Patrick's High School (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 1998. Harrington played well for the Pacers but has bounced around to Atlanta and back to Indiana before he was dealt to the Warriors in January 2007.
This season, the 28-year-old Harrington is averaging 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. He had 26 points, hitting 6 of 12 three-pointers, and 11 rebounds in 46 minutes in a 112-108 loss to Toronto last Friday.
Harrington is attractive to the Knicks not only because he provides more length, athleticism and shooting touch from the post and three-point range at both forward positions but because his contract expires by the critical summer of 2010. He is scheduled to make $9.2 million this season and $10.02 million in 2009-10.
The Knicks - which are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday - likely would want to offer buried-on-the-bench center Eddy Curry, whose salary is a close match, but a person with knowledge of the Warriors' thinking said Curry does not fit with their up-tempo system, either. The Charlotte Observer this week reported that the Bobcats could look to get involved in a Knicks-Warriors trade situation as a third team, perhaps with interest in Curry. Curry averaged 13.6 points per game when current Bobcats coach Larry Brown coached the Knicks in 2005-06.
The Warriors are pleased with the development of forward Brandan Wright and likely would want a versatile player such as David Lee in any trade with the Knicks. They also are in need of help at point guard while Monta Ellis recovers from his controversial offseason ankle injury, and the Knicks would love to unload Stephon Marbury. The Pacers are believed to be offering their own exiled guard, Jamaal Tinsley, to obtain Harrington for a third go-round.
One league source said Walsh is having a difficult time making trades because "the entire league knows he's trying to move players."