Knicks rumors hot and heavy

There are all sorts of rumors swirling about the New York Knicks. Several of them were in the air last night when the Knicks met the Phoenix Suns. Newsday reports that Shaq is very excited about his relationship with Knicks coach, Mike D'Antoni. Like LeBron, Bosh and D-Wade, Shaq will be a free agent in 2010. Perhaps the Knicks could pair a young LeBron with an old Shaq? Speaking of LeBron, the New York Daily News reports that it is no done deal for the Knicks and the Global Icon in 2010. LeBron was quoted grousing in GQ about how D'Antoni's teams don't play any defense.

Finally of course, it is all over the press that the Athens based team, Olympiakos Piraeus, the very team that signed Josh Childress from Atlanta, could be in the market for Stephon Marbury. The Knicks would be more than grateful to have somebody take Starbury off of their hands. He has refused to give them a break on the $20 million he is owed. He is acting as his own agent. The Knicks haven't budged either because they surely do not want to see him go to an Eastern Conference contender and succeed. If Marbury is released after March 1, he would not be eligible for the playoffs. Olympiakos is interested in part because Childress is sidelined with a hernia.

The Knicks, by the by, beat the Suns and have now won four out of six. They remain only two games out of the eighth playoff spot in the East.