Sports

KNICKS NEAR KURT DEAL – BUT GRANT STILL IFFY

If Portland’s Brian Grant truly were a free agent, the Knicks would be fitting him for a “44” jersey today.

Instead, their only signing today likely will be their own free agent, Kurt Thomas, who flew from Dallas to New York yesterday prepared to ink a new long-term deal – believed to be in the five-year, $24 million range.

“Things are going well,” GM Scott Layden said regarding Thomas. “Hopefully we’ll have a deal soon.”

Still, it is not exactly the blockbuster transaction the Knicks had hoped would be reached on Aug. 1. With the official free-agency signing period having finally arrived, Grant may reluctantly join the woeful Cavaliers, although his first preference is still Jeff Van Gundy’s club.

Welcome to NBA’s new free agency, where Grant may have little choice on where he winds up. Although the Cavs play in his home state, Grant has scant interest in playing for Cleveland.

Grant, the power forward the Knicks wined and dined on Charles Dolan’s yacht on the Hudson River 2½ weeks ago, is thinking long and hard on whether to OK a sign-and-trade that would make overweight Shawn Kemp a Blazer.

Grant may have only one other option – to re-sign with the Blazers for the same four-year, $41 million contract he opted out of July 1. That is because the Knicks and Blazers haven’t reached a trade agreement, even though it is believed Layden made the contract-extension-seeking, free-agent-to-be Patrick Ewing available in a package for Grant and 21-year-old center prospect Jermaine O’Neal.

The Blazers consider obtaining Kemp, only 30, the better deal since they can also package the unhappy O’Neal for other assets. The Knicks will still continue talking to the Blazers.

Meanwhile, Layden made another pitch yesterday for their next-best option, Celtic free-agent power forward Danny Fortson, but talks with Boston GM Chris Wallace went poorly, as he got rebuffed on another offer that featured Chris Childs.

The two teams this month had discussed a Childs and Andrew Lang deal for Fortson, Doug Overton and Calbert Cheaney but the Knicks refused to add $3 million in cash.

According to a Celtic insider, the Knicks yesterday offered to pay some cash but wanted the Celtics to then add one of their inexpensive core players instead of Cheaney. No good.

According to another league source, Layden then offered Fortson the $2.5 million exception but was rejected. Fortson’s agent, Raymond Brothers, has maintained all month that Fortson will not sign for the $2.5M exception, but the Knicks think Fortson and the Celtics will be unable to execute a sign and trade with another team because of all its complications.

Indeed, a Warrior official said yesterday that nothing was “imminent” regarding a three-team sign-and-trade with Fortson winding up with front-running Golden State. The team official said the Warriors are working hard on obtaining the 6-foot-7, 260-pound rebounding specialist in a sign-and-trade but aren’t close to a deal.

One other team that could land in the Fortson mix is the Clippers if they hire Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins, who’s been offered the job. Huggins said recently that Fortson was the best player he’s ever had at Cincy and is expected to ask management to go after him if he gets the job. The Clippers don’t have to work a sign-and-trade, as they have cap room.

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Jerry Hicks, Thomas’ agent, said he’s hoping Thomas will sign contracts today but refused to say the deal is done. It seems the only minor detail left is Thomas’ signature.

“If we’re going to do a deal, it will be [today],” Hicks said.