Isiah Thomas made yet another move Sunday in his transformation of the New York Knicks, trading Keith Van Horn to Milwaukee and acquiring Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed in a three-way deal that also involved Atlanta.
The Hawks acquired Michael Doleac from the Knicks and Joel Przybilla from Milwaukee. New York also sent a 2005 second-round draft pick to Atlanta.
It's the third trade made by Thomas, who has also changed coaches, since taking over as team president in late December. Only seven players who were with the Knicks then remain on their roster.
This latest deal gives New York a new starting small forward in Tim Thomas, and a new backup center in Mohammed. Both should be in uniform Tuesday night when the Knicks play the Detroit Pistons.
Van Horn was averaging 16.4 points for New York, third on the team behind Stephon Marbury and Allan Houston. Van Horn was acquired last summer in a multiteam deal that sent Latrell Sprewell to Minnesota.
Van Horn scored 20 or more points in three of the Knicks' final six games before the All-Star break, tying his season high of 30 in a Jan. 31 victory over Phoenix. He was New York's second-leading rebounder, averaging 7.3.
After Atla High product Travis Knight was waived before the season and ex-Jazz guard Howard Eisley was traded to Phoenix earlier this season, and with University of Utah products Van Horn and Doleac now gone as well, the Knicks are down to only former Jazz swingman as the last Knick with ties to former Jazz boss Scott Layden, who was ousted from New York earlier this season.
"It was a very tough trade for us, losing Keith (Van Horn)," said Isiah Thomas, who recently succeeded Layden as the Knicks' president of basketball operations.
"It's probably one of the most-difficult trades I've ever had to make, simply because of my fondness for Keith," Thomas added. "I've always liked him as a player in college. . . . You know, I don't think it's a knock on Keith's talent or his person. I found Keith to be a very good player for us, and an extremely good person."
As for moving Doleac, Thomas pointed out that the ex-Ute big man would probably would have been gone after this season anyway.
"Michael Doleac would have been a free agent. (Center) Dikembe Mutombo is 38 (years old), and (Kurt) Thomas has the right to opt out of his contract," Isiah Thomas said. "When you add Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed to our team, it makes us a much-more athletic team. I think we've become a better defensive team, a better rebounding team and it also helps our future in terms of it gives us some insurance just in case Kurt Thomas leaves or Doleac wasn't coming back."
The Bucks will become Van Horn's fourth team since he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1997 draft. He spent five seasons in New Jersey and one in Philadelphia.
"We wanted to get more athletic and wanted to get tougher from a rebounding standpoint," said the Knicks' president, adding that Mohammed was a key to the deal. "It gives us some insurance in case Kurt Thomas leaves (as a free agent over the summer), if Doleac doesn't come back and because Dikembe (Mutombo) is 38."
Tim Thomas was averaging 14.1 points and 4.9 rebounds for Milwaukee, where the seventh-year forward spent the past 4 1/2 seasons. This is the second time Van Horn and Thomas have been traded for each other, the previous deal coming on draft night in 1997.
"This is a great addition for us," Bucks All-Star guard Michael Redd said. "Keith is a quality guy, and he's going to stretch the defense out — maybe more than Tim did."
Doleac was averaging 5.0 points and 4.1 points as the backup to Mutombo, his role increasing after Lenny Wilkens replaced Don Chaney as coach.
Mohammed was averaging 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds as the backup in Atlanta, which has undergone its own roster overhaul in the past week. The Hawks dealt Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau to Portland for Rasheed Wallace and Wesley Person.
After the recent moves, Atlanta has only five players under contract beyond this season — Doleac, Jason Terry, rookie Boris Diaw, Chris Crawford and Alan Henderson. Those players account for only about $21 million in salary, giving the Hawks — in the final stages of being sold — at least $20 million in salary cap room to pursue free agents in the offseason.
Contributing: Tim Buckley, Deseret Morning News