With Stephon Marbury’s situation continuing to crawl along, The Post has learned the inactive point guard is planning to seek the Players’ Association’s help in guiding him through this saga.
Marbury hasn’t played a minute in the Knicks’ three games this season, and he’s been inactive for the last two. He met with Knicks president Donnie Walsh yesterday, but it was a quick conversation in which no decision was revealed about his status.
While coach Mike D’Antoni wants Marbury waived, Walsh seemed less than supportive yesterday and appears confused about why D’Antoni has placed Marbury in exile.
Walsh, who admitted on Sunday that he was caught off guard when he saw Marbury wasn’t playing on opening night, said yesterday his hope was to “resolve the issue, if there are issues.”
And what exactly is the issue?
“That he’s not playing and that you guys are asking me,” Walsh said. “And I want to understand why and I want our coach to – if he’s got valid reasons, that’s one thing. If not . . . That’s what we’re talking about.”
The Players’ Association, however, is prepared to assist Marbury with the situation. The 31-year-old doesn’t have an agent.
“We’ve helped Stephon in the past,” PA executive director Billy Hunter Jr. said, “and we’ll continue to help him whenever he asks.”
Hunter did not want to address the specifics regarding Marbury. Last year, though, Marbury filed a grievance with the Players’ Association when he was docked a game’s pay for leaving the Knicks while they were in Phoenix.
Walsh said on Sunday that he planned to talk to Marbury, and according to a source, the two had a very “generic” five-minute conversation yesterday in which nothing significant was discussed. In talking to the media yesterday, Walsh sounded like he was curious to get some answers as to what exactly is going on.
Asked yesterday what couldn’t be resolved yet, Walsh replied, “That I’m not going to set a timetable. That I want to make sure that everybody’s on page with what we’re trying to do.”
He said he wasn’t contemplating a buyout yet.
There would seemingly be only two possible resolutions here – either Marbury plays for the Knicks, or they don’t have him on the team anymore. When presented with that, Walsh replied, “I’m not going there.”
But Walsh didn’t sound overly inclined to simply waive Marbury. He said he wasn’t thinking about having him leave the team, and when asked if the Knicks might as well play Marbury considering that he’s healthy and on the roster, Walsh seemed to see the logic.
“That’s the whole point,” he said. “I would agree with that.”
Marbury, who makes $21.9 million this season, didn’t directly answer a question yesterday about whether he wants to be here, saying instead, “I want to play basketball.”
Asked if he wonders why he’s here if he’s not going to play, he said: “No. It’s their choice.”
– Additional reportingby Marc Berman