New York Local News

NEW YORK (CBS) ― With one fell swoop Friday, the New York Knicks announced their intentions to enter the 2010 LeBron James free agency derby.

The Knicks traded their two leading scorers, Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, in separate deals and brought back a bunch of serviceable players whose contracts all expire in 2010, the year James will be a free agent.

Coincidence? Not likely.

On Friday afternoon, the Knicks sent Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas. Earlier in the day they shipped Crawford to Golden State for Al Harrington.

Coach Mike D'Antoni had acknowledged after the Knicks' morning shootaround that team president Donnie Walsh was likely to make a deal before New York's game at Milwaukee on Friday night. The departure of the high-scoring Crawford should save the Knicks about $10 million against the salary cap.

The Knicks are attempting to excavate themselves from the heap of long-term contracts and salary-cap constraints bequeathed to Walsh by Isiah Thomas. Walsh wants enough cap space in 2010 to make a run at the league's top free agents, who might include James.

The trade with Golden State was a good start, even if Harrington can't match Crawford's scoring and skill.

"To acquire a player of Al's caliber, we had to give up someone we all really liked in Jamal," Walsh said. "We thank him for his contributions both on and off the court, and we wish him all the best in Golden State."

Harrington joined the Warriors in a trade with the Pacers in January 2007, playing a large role in ending Golden State's 12-season playoff drought later that year. But the 6-foot-9 perimeter shooter grew disenchanted with his role in Don Nelson's offense last year, and he angered the veteran coach shortly before this season began by going public with his trade requests.

Crawford averaged 20.6 points per game last season, and the streak-shooting guard was averaging 19.6 this season in D'Antoni's uptempo offense. But he is scheduled to earn $9.36 million in 2009-10 and $10.8 million more in 2010-11 unless he exercises an early termination clause in his contract next summer.

Harrington hasn't played for the Warriors since Nov. 5, when Nelson criticized his effort and announced the club would play Wright more. Wright still isn't playing much, but Stephen Jackson is logging major minutes as the Warriors' power forward in a small-ball lineup while Harrington sits out with what the team claims is a sore back.

Harrington, whose scoring average declined in each of the last two seasons from his career-best 18.6 points for Atlanta in 2006, is making $9.2 million this year. He's scheduled to get just over $10 million next season, the final year of his deal.

It was the first major deal for Walsh, who replaced Thomas in April, and D'Antoni made another just a few hours later.

"The thing is, I think this will happen a few times during the year, because I think Donnie has got his plan, and he will execute it as he sees fit," D'Antoni said.

Crawford said he first heard about the possibility of a deal Thursday night.

"When I was younger, when I first got in the league and you hear trade rumors, (I was) nervous then," Crawford said. "But now? No. Because you can't worry about stuff you can't control." 

Randolph led the Knicks with 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. The Clippers fill the void in the post they lost when Elton Brand left to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mobley averaged 13.7 points for the Clippers.

D'Antoni acknowledged the trades could temporarily disrupt the team's focus.

"I think this is where you have to be professional," D'Antoni said. "This is where it's tough, and it's a hard part of the business."

 

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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