The Knicks kept tinkering with their roster two days before training camp, acquiring the draft rights to Jared Jordan on Sunday and working toward a buyout of Dan Dickau's contract.

The Knicks traded cash considerations to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that sends last season's NCAA assists leader back to New York. The Clippers took Jordan with the 45th pick in the NBA draft.

Jordan could compete for a backup point guard spot that will become open once the Knicks have completed their buyout of Dickau, who was acquired from Portland in the Zach Randolph trade in June. Dickau isn't expected to be in camp when it opens Tuesday in Charleston, S.C.

The Clippers' Corey Maggette will wait until after this season to decide if his future lies with the team.

Maggette is eligible for a contract extension, but he and his agent, Rob Pelinka, said they plan to let the Oct. 31 deadline pass, which would allow Maggette to opt out of the final year of his contract next summer and become an unrestricted free agent.

Pelinka said it is more prudent to wait until that time because Maggette, 27, then could be signed to a six-year extension by the Clippers or, if he decided to test the free-agent market, he could mull over five-year contract offers from other teams.

Free-agent forward Yaroslav Korolev will report to the Clippers' training camp in Santa Barbara next week, ending speculation that the team's 2005 lottery pick would report with another team or play in Russia this season, a source said Wednesday.

Korolev, the 12th overall pick two years ago, tried out with the Phoenix Suns and other NBA teams in recent weeks but has returned to working out at the Clippers' El Segundo training facility. Korolev is expected to sign a non-guaranteed contract before camp begins.

Korolev has played little in his Clippers tenure, appearing in only 34 games in the last two seasons, and has yet to develop as the team anticipated.

Korolev was offered a new contract after last season, but it was rescinded after the team's plans changed when All-Star forward Elton Brand tore his Achilles' tendon.

Because of the injury to star forward Elton Brand, the Clippers have rescinded their contract offer to former lottery pick Yaroslav Korolev, who has spent the past several weeks working out for various other NBA teams.

Korolev, 20, was the Clippers' first-round draft pick in 2005, selected 12th overall. When he was drafted, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said he expected Korolev to spend his rookie season learning but was projected to break into the rotation by his second year.

But Korolev did not develop as expected, and the Clippers declined to pick up the third-year option of $2.7 million on his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent July 1. Dunleavy said last season and early this summer that Korolev still figured in the team's plans and that the Clippers wanted to re-sign him. Korolev played on the Clippers' summer-league team.

The Clippers offered Korolev a one-year, guaranteed contract of $800,000, with a club option for a second year, a week into the free-agency period, but the recently rescinded deal has completely severed their ties.

Clippers forward Elton Brand had the cast removed from his left leg and was fitted for a removable walking boot Tuesday, six weeks after he had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles' tendon.

The Clippers said Brand will begin a rehabilitation program under the supervision of their training and medical staff. The program includes local therapy, cardiovascular work and a flexibility and strengthening program.

At the urging of his mother, Elton Brand is financing an expansion team in the revived American Basketball Association. The Westchester Phantoms are expected to debut Nov. 4 against the Strong Island Sound at Peekskill High School.

Daisy Brand is listed as the franchise owner. Her oldest son, Artie McGriff, is the general manager.

"Really, it's me running things and her telling me what to do," McGriff said with a laugh yesterday. "She thought it would be a good idea to own a basketball team and help some guys get to the next level. Elton put up the money, but we've still got to make it a business."

McGriff plans to interview coaches in the coming days and will conduct open tryouts for players in the coming weeks. A detailed marketing strategy is also in the works.