LOS ANGELES – A day after saying he had “no superstars,” Knick coach Isiah Thomas said he will ask the Nets what it would take to land the on-the-block Jason Kidd.
The Nets have been forever looking for a big center, and Eddy Curry could be involved in a potential deal, possibly along with Renaldo Balkman, whom the Nets like.
Yesterday, Thomas finally admitted the Knicks no longer are built around Curry/Zach Randolph inside, and that the club needs to excel in two styles, not just as a power, inside team.
It’s a longshot Net president Rod Thorn would deal with the Knicks, other than to raise the bidding. Thorn has admitted the offers have been weak. Knick executive VP Glen Grunwald already inquired about Vince Carter recently, offering Randolph.
Kidd’s bombshell that it’s time to move on traveled to L.A., where the Lakers, too, should have interest again.
“I think our business is to find out,” Thomas said. “When players are on the market, you try to find out. You have to be interested. You have to look.”
With Stephon Marbury likely out of future plans, Thomas considers Kidd among the game’s elite point guards despite Kidd’s age – he turns 35 on March 23.
Curry doesn’t appear thrilled to be a Knick. He’s complained about his role in the offense on more than one occasion, most recently after the Golden State game.
When asked if he wouldn’t mind a trade, Curry laughed tellingly, then told The Post, “It’s been tough, but I don’t want to run from my problems. I had tough moments here, but good moments here. Whenever [Thomas] says it’s time for me to go, I go.”
Asked if he feels Thomas is looking to deal him, Curry said, “Ask him.”
Said Thomas: “From this point on, we have to keep building and we have to play two different styles. Some nights we play small-sized teams, some nights big teams.”
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Asked his Super Bowl prediction, Jack Nicholson said from his courtside seat, “49ers.” … Spike Lee attended Knick shoot-around at UCLA and last night’s contest. … Magic Johnson met with Thomas before the game.