<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">KNICKS INK PAIR OF BIG MEN TO SUMMER DEALS By MARC BERMAN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- July 8, 2003 -- The Knicks named two 7-footers to their summer-league roster yesterday but not exactly the two 7-footers they envisioned on Draft Night. The Knicks announced their full summer-league squad yesterday, but their two European draft picks, 7-0 forward Majiec Lampe and 7-6 Slavko Vranes, were not on the roster, because of contract difficulties with their clubs. The Knicks did sign 7-foot Raptors center Mamadou N'diaye and 7-2 Queens native Karim Shabazz. N'diaye will play for the Knicks during the second-week portion of the summer-league schedule in Salt Lake City, as he's now playing summer league ball for Indiana. According to sources, progress was made on negotiations yesterday between the Knicks and Real Madrid on a contract buyout settlement for Lampe. The Knicks should know by Thursday whether Lampe is allowed to play summer league, which begins in Boston July 14. Training camp begins tomorrow and so far Real Madrid won't let him play. If the Knicks can't reduce Lampe's buyout figure of $2 million through negotiations, they could take the issue to a FIBA arbitrator. According to sources, Lampe was paid about $45,000 by Real Madrid last season and is slated to be paid just over $50,000 next season, so the buyout figure appears out of whack. The Knicks can only pay $350,000 of the buyout, with Lampe footing the rest. Central to the negotiations is setting up a long-term payment schedule. Lampe is working out in Chicago, playing pickup games against Juwan Howard, Antoine Walker and Corey Maggette. Vranes, too, hasn't reached a settlement with his Serbian club. * Free agent P.J. Brown is visiting Orlando and San Antonio this week but is considering a recruiting visit to New York next if it becomes apparent he'll have to settle for the $4.9 million mid-level exception. The 6-11 former Heat power forward has been vilified by Knick fans for his brawl with Charlie Ward. "He considers it more of a compliment than anything," his agent Mark Bartlestein said. "We've had serious talks with them." The Knicks have also invited another Bartlestein client, center Brad Miller. The Knicks' No. 1 choice is 7-foot Rasho Nesterovic, who is in Slovenia and will only visit if he's close to signing. * First-round pick Mike Sweetney officially signed his three-year, $4.9 million contract yesterday . . . Small forward Tyrone Nesby, whom the Knicks considered signing during last October's training camp, is another summer-league signee. After four seasons in the NBA, Nesby couldn't find a taker last season and played in Greece. Point guard Frank Williams, last year's first-round pick, will also play. He fractured his wrist during last summer's games but was being outplayed by Billy Keys, who is back again. The rest of the roster includes: Ugonna Onyekwe (Penn), Damian Cantrell (USF), Matt Carroll (Notre Dame), Kimani Ffriend (Nebraska), Trevor Huffman (Kent State), Lonnie Jones (Ball State), Billy Keys (New Mexico State), Amal McCaskill (Marquette), Andre McCollum (Cal-State-Bakersfield), Troy Ostler (Hawaii), Andy Panko (Lebanon Valley College), Michael Ruffin (Tulsa), Brooks Sales (Villanova).</div> http://nypost.com/sports/knicks/37549.htm
hopfully we can get lmape and varnes suited up this year my guess is they will,also i hope we can get miller or p.j then we will be a force to be rekoned with
