NBA

Knicks’ Harrington OK with swap talk

When it comes to possibly getting traded, Al Harrington insists he appreciates the interest.

The Knicks forward is in the middle of trade rumors again, this time with the Rockets in a deal for Tracy McGrady. Harrington insisted yesterday he isn’t bothered by the buzz.

“I shrug it off,” he said. “I always look at it like, when people want you, that’s a good thing.”

Harrington has been dealt four times already — from the Pacers to the Hawks in 2004, back to the Pacers in 2006, to the Warriors in 2007 and to the Knicks in 2008. Three of the four trades involved Donnie Walsh teams.

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Harrington, an Orange, N.J., native who insisted he doesn’t want to leave the Knicks, was in the Bahamas for the All-Star break and only found out about the rumors on Sunday.

“Honestly, I didn’t even hear about it until I got home, and when I got home, all my texts came through,” he said. “Everybody’s asking me, did I get traded here and there, and I didn’t even know anything about it.”

* David Lee wasn’t able to be at Knicks practice despite his efforts to return from the All-Star Game in Dallas. Due to travel problems, he didn’t land until around 7 a.m. yesterday, and coach Mike D’Antoni allowed him to skip practice and sleep.

* Nate Robinson didn’t practice because of flu-like symptoms.