In a concession to the NBA Players' Association, the deadline for the "amnesty" clause, which will allow teams a one-time exception to waive a player without paying further luxury tax on the player's contract, has been moved up to Aug. 15.

Teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks, who are expected to use the clause -- also known as the Allan Houston Rule -- to waive Michael Finley and Houston to avoid paying future luxury tax on their contracts, will have less than two weeks to make final decisions once the labor deal is implemented Tuesday.

The original deadline was Oct. 1. All 30 NBA teams will now have the right to make one amnesty waiver starting Tuesday at noon ET through Aug. 15. Teams are not required to use this clause and early estimates suggest that less than half of the league's clubs will exercise the option largely because the rule only provides luxury-tax relief, not salary-cap relief.

The Mavericks are trying to trade Finley to keep him out of the Western Conference and to avoid losing him without compensation. If they end up waiving him, a string of playoff contenders, including the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, are expected to pursue Finley.

The union argued that an Oct. 1 deadline gave the teams releasing players too much control over their players' futures. The Aug. 15 deadline is early enough to give Finley, Houston and anyone else released via the clause a chance to compete for free-agent dollars long before training camps open Oct. 3.

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas announced today that Hall-of-Famer Larry Brown has been named the franchise's 22nd head coach in the team's 59-year history.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"This is a great day for the New York Knicks and our fans," Thomas said.

"Larry Brown is not just one of the best coaches in the NBA today, but in its history. He has made every team he has ever coached a winner, with a legendary approach to teaching and motivating his players. His value to us as a franchise at this time is immeasurable."

"I want to thank Isiah, Jim Dolan and Steve Mills, as well as all the Knicks fans who have given me their best wishes during this time," Brown said.

"There is no bigger stage than Madison Square Garden, and it is a privilege for me and my family to now be part of the organization and to be back in New York."  

At various times, Brown seemed to be overwhelmed by the fanfare and attention which consummated a whirlwind courtship by MSG brass since the coach severed his relationship with the Detroit Pistons.  

On a few occasions, Brown could be seen releasing a deep breath and when he took the podium after Thomas' gushing introduction, the new Knicks' coach spoke in hushed tones.  Also, he looked nervously up at the television monitor above him playing a "Welcome Home" music video which was prepared by MSG's PR department.

Brown, who said that it felt natural to finally return home to the city in which he grew up, told the media that New York would be the last coaching stop on his long NBA journey.

Considered one of the greatest teachers the sport has ever seen, Brown has garnered numerous distinctions over his 33-years of head coaching experience. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, the Brooklyn, NY-native is the NBA's fourth all-time winningest coach in NBA history with a record of 987-741 (.571), third all-time winningest playoff coach in NBA history with a 100-89 record (.529), 2001 NBA Coach of Year and three-time ABA Coach of the Year.

In 2004, Brown became the first head coach in basketball history to win an NBA Championship and NCAA Championship. In 1988, he coached the University of Kansas to its first National Championship in 36 years and most recently, in 2004, the 64-year-old led the Detroit Pistons to its first NBA title in 14 years.

The press conference was replete with ample praise for the gentlemanly behavior and team-first attitude displayed by former coach Herb Williams as developments unfolded around him.

The deal to bring Larry Brown to New York has been finalized.

On Wednesday evening, the Knicks issued a news release alerting the media to a "major press conference" for noon eastern time on Thursday, at which time Brown will be presented as the team's new head coach.

Less than 10 days after his separation from the Detroit Pistons, Brown is now back in the Eastern Conference and has again accepted a substantial challenge.

He will take charge of yet another reclamation project in trying to turn the Knicks' fortunes around.

Brown has called the New York head coaching position a "dream job" and has a long and successful track record in his storied career.

Larry Brown, the Hall of Famer and NBA world champion, has agreed to coach the New York Knicks.  

"He's made his decision that he wants to coach the Knicks," Brown's agent, Joe Glass, said yesterday.  "Now it's up to the Knicks and myself to come up with an arrangement that works for both parties."

By assuming the helm of a club that has been spiraling downward for the better part of a decade, Brown has taken on what may be the most challenging assignment of a career that spans three decades.  

Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island watching the hometown Knicks, Brown now becomes the 22nd head coach of the New York franchise.

Brown agreed in principle to the Knicks? offer and negotiations could be completed on Wednesday.  The team intends to make an announcement by Thursday barring any unexpected holdups.

"There's some other things to hash out, but there's nothing definitive at this point," Glass said. "A lot of things can happen between the talk and the execution. I'm only secure when it's done."

While precise deal parameters remain unknown, Brown is expected to earn $10 million to $12 million annually for three to five years.

The agreement is the culmination of a hectic week during which Brown severed his relationship with the Detroit Pistons and was then pursued at a dizzying, daily pace by top officials at Madison Square Garden.

Brown has a proven ability to maximize roster talent and will be starting at square one with the current Knicks team.  The coach?s ultimate success will depend on whether he can find consistent contributions and workable combinations to fill his winning system.  In attempting to put the right pieces together, Brown can choose from a selection of backcourt and frontcourt depth that is marked by players who have either underachieved or failed to mesh.

He will become the Knicks? fourth coach in 18 months, taking over after Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens and Herb Williams.

Brown has taken a record seven NBA teams to the playoffs and will now attempt to implement his defensive-minded, purist teaching styles in New York.  He will have the command of his reputation ? and the growing anticipation of a city hungry to return to the NBA's elite ? to propel him in his mission to bring quality basketball back to Madison Square Garden.

Larry Brown, reached by telephone by The Associated Press on Tuesday, is on the verge of becoming the Knicks' head coach.

"I wouldn't have met with the owner and with Herb if I didn't think this would move forward," Brown said. "I just can't go any further than that."

Team president Isiah Thomas said he was in a meeting with team owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden president Steve Mills this morning and could not comment on whether Brown had given the Knicks definitive acceptance.

Shelly Brown, Larry Brown's wife, is saying that the process could be near completion by the end of the day.

"Knicks management is meeting, and we're waiting to hear from them. We're all on board," she said.

Shelly Brown also expressed similar sentiments to the NY Post: "Just some little things have to be tied up before saying 'yes.'  I'm starting to get excited, I hope it works out."

Brown appears to be on the verge of accepting the Knicks' head coaching job.  Contract negotiations with his agent, Joe Glass, could yield an agreement in principle today, with Brown announced at a press conference before the week is over.

"The people here are terrific," Shelly Brown said. "I liked Jim very much. Isiah, we've known him for a while, he's a good guy and he's been honest. That could be nice. We want to make sure everyone is on the same page. They are. We don't want to find out afterwards they're not. We want to make sure the expectations are in check."

Larry Brown has been telling the media that he wants to reach out to Herb Williams, the man who last season held the head coaching job that Knicks? management is now eager for Brown to fill.  The two will get together at a Manhattan restaurant on Monday night.

Madison Square Garden brass seem to be on the verge of offering Brown a contract that would make him the highest paid head coach in NBA history.

"If I get involved, it'll be a go," said Joe Glass, Brown?s agent.  

Brown could take the Knicks' position as soon as Tuesday.  If he accepts, Brown would try to turn around a franchise with massive salary commitments and dubious player talent.  Thrust onto the biggest stage and perhaps the most difficult challenge of his career at age 64, Brown would hold the hopes of a city desperate to find its basketball savior.  Expectations and pressure for the 2005-2006 NBA season would be as high as the Knicks' payroll.

The dinner with Williams comes one day after owner James Dolan and team president Isiah Thomas visited Brown at his home in East Hampton, NY.  This meeting lasted more than two hours although none of the participants commented to the media.

Monday?s dinner may be to discuss what role Williams would have on Brown?s staff.  Alternative speculation is that Brown may ask Williams about a scenario in which Brown sits out next season but becomes head coach by the 2006-2007 season.  Williams would remain as head coach for one year with Brown waiting in the wings to take over the following season.

Glass said there is no deadline for a decision.  "There is no timetable," Glass said. "Everyone is proceeding in their own manner."

Knicks owner James Dolan of Cablevision met Sunday night with prospective coach Larry Brown, who had wanted to speak first with interim coach Herb Williams.

The visit to Brown's home in East Hampton, N.Y., by Dolan and team president Isiah Thomas represented the next step in the Knicks' wooing of Brown, a pursuit that figures to draw to a conclusion in the next few days.

The Knicks had not formally offered the job to Brown as of Saturday, but the implied message from Thomas was clear: The job is Brown's if he wants it.

"Obviously, if I'm speaking to them, then I obviously have an interest," Larry Brown said of the Knicks to Howard Beck. "But my concern is what's best for my family and if I can do it mentally."

Isiah Thomas landed at a local airport and the two were set to meet to talk about the Knicks' job for the first time in the evening.

Brown, 64, who is coping with a bladder condition, said he had not determined whether he wanted to coach next season or contemplated the challenge of coaching the Knicks. He said repeatedly that the wishes of his wife and children would be paramount in his decision.

"I've got to sit with my family; there's a lot of issues," he said. "You have to ask Isiah what his plans are. But I've got a lot of things happening in the last two weeks that I wasn't prepared for."

There is no ambiguity on the Knicks' side of the equation. Thomas has waited three months for the chance to interview Brown, and he prolonged his coaching search on the mere hope that Brown might be available.

Offering Brown the job is viewed as an almost unnecessary formality. The offer is implied, and the Knicks are prepared to give Brown a paycheck that rivals Phil Jackson's. The Los Angeles Lakers recently signed Jackson to a contract that pays $10 million to $12 million a year.

It is not clear whether the 64-year-old Larry Brown, who has  suffered serious health issues, will be physically able to coach this season.

"The most important thing is that I've got to have a consensus from my family, whatever I do," Brown said yesterday in a telephone interview.

Joe Glass, Brown's longtime agent and friend, said that there was no timeline for Brown to make a decision, but that the process was not expected to take long.

"I don't want to keep the Knicks hanging," Brown said.

Larry Brown, officially fired and bought out by the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, will meet with New York Knicks president Isiah Thomas to discuss the team's vacant head coaching job, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

Brown and the Pistons reached a settlement Tuesday on the final three years of his contract, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said. He now is free to coach another team next season, said Dobek, who declined to provide further details.

The Daily News said Thomas and Brown could meet as soon as Thursday, and the newspaper said Brown might receive an offer of five years worth between $50 million and $60 million, making him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.