http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketba...73p-93031c.html <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sprewell could land in San Antonio By FRANK ISOLA DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Latrell Sprewell's days in New York appear to be numbered. The Knicks are trying to find a fourth team willing to be included in a complicated trade that would involve sending Sprewell to San Antonio and with the Knicks getting Keith Van Horn from Philadelphia, according to a person familiar with Scott Layden's thinking. Last week, there were reports that the Sixers would get Malik Rose from San Antonio but the Spurs have said they will not trade Rose, a backup power forward who also happens to be Tim Duncan's best friend on the team. It is unclear as to which club is the fourth team in the deal or whom the Sixers will get in the proposed trade. One Western Conference GM said yesterday the Knicks were close to trading Sprewell to the Spurs. However, a Knicks spokesman denied that a trade was imminent. Reached yesterday in at his home in Utah, Van Horn acknowledged being aware of the trade rumors but declined to comment. Layden, the Knicks' president and GM, yesterday was in Salt Lake City, where the Knicks' summer league team is participating in the Rocky Mountain Revue. He was unavailable for comment. Layden has tried to trade Sprewell since last summer and has turned down several deals, including a trade with Milwaukee that would have brought Glenn Robinson to Madison Square Garden. Robinson eventually was traded to Atlanta. Sprewell has two years remaining on his contract that will pay him $26 million. One of Sprewell's close friends said Sprewell maintains that he wants to finish his career in New York, but that Sprewell also believes there is a strong chance he will be traded. Sprewell is the team's most popular player but his relationship with management has been strained since April of 2002, when he failed to show up for a morning shootaround in Miami. Five months later, Sprewell arrived for training camp with a broken hand and was banished from the team for two weeks for failing to notify the club of his condition. He was also suspended for one exhibition game. Sprewell missed the first eight games of the 2002-03 season and the Knicks started the year 1-7. Overall, they were 37-45. On the last day of the season, during a press conference to announce Don Chaney's contract extension, several players were praised by Garden officials for their individual performances. However, Garden chairman James Dolan, Layden and Steve Mills, the president of Garden sports operations, all failed to mention Sprewell. And yet, Sprewell finished second on the team in scoring and steals and ranked third in assistants and fourth in rebounding. Many NBA scouts feel that if the Knicks swap Sprewell for Van Horn they will be sacrificing toughness for more scoring. The Knicks had no trouble scoring last season; they averaged 95.9 ppg., Their problem was stopping the other team from putting up an average of 97.2 ppg.</div>
