According to league sources, the Suns, Pistons and Heat are the early frontrunners to sign the recently waived Jalen Rose.

If Rose signs for the veteran minimum salary, he'd earn $1,178,348 million from his new team for the season, with that team obligated to pay only $744,551 of that amount. The league picks up the difference.

Unlike most cases when the Heat coach downplays free-agent prospects, Miami coach Pat Riley sounded intrigued Monday with the possibility of adding 6-foot-8 veteran Jalen Rose, who was waived by the Knicks Monday.

"He's a very skilled player," Riley said shortly after Rose agreed to a buyout with the Knicks. "He's still young, I think, at 33 years old. So he is capable. He's very capable, we know that. But he has to be at the right place at the right time."

Riley offered his comment about Rose shortly after he said a potential return of forward Shandon Anderson has been placed on the backburner.

Because Rose received a significant portion of the $17 million he was due this season from the Knicks, he would arrive with relatively little impact on the Heat's salary cap.

NBA Commissioner David Stern tonight issued the following statement:

?At my request, the New York Knicks and Larry Brown have agreed to a compromise resolution of the dispute between them.  Neither the Club nor Larry have any future obligation to each other and have assured me, in response to my direction and request, that there will be no further public discussion of the matter.  In addition, I have assured the parties that this resolution will have no precedential value in any future disputes before me.?

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas announced today that the team has waived guard/forward Jalen Rose.

In four preseason games, the 12-year NBA veteran averaged 10.5 minutes.

The roster stands at 14.

The New York Knicks are negotiating a buyout of the final year of Jalen Rose?s contract, which calls for him to earn $16.9 million, the New York Times has confirmed. The precise terms of the buyout are not known.

?We?re close to reaching an agreement, and my expectation is it could be done as early as tomorrow,? Arn Tellem, Rose?s agent, said last night.

Rose, 33, became expendable after the Knicks signed small forward Jared Jeffries over the summer. They also drafted small forward Renaldo Balkman with the 20th pick.

Jalen Rose has not been part of the Knicks rotation, and isn't a part of their future, either. The only question remaining is how long until the tie is formally cut. It could happen in a couple of days, based on signals given by Isiah Thomas.

Rose, who has seen only token minutes all preseason, didn't play against the Nets Friday night, and wasn't even at the Knicks open practice yesterday at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

A smile and a wave were all Thomas could muster when asked if Rose was still going to be a member of the team. If he's not, the most likely scenario is that the Knicks could be negotiating buyout of his contract, which has one year and $16.9 million remaining.

A Knicks spokesman said Rose wasn't at practice yesterday because of "personal reasons," but did not elaborate. When asked yesterday if Rose would be a part of the rotation, Thomas indicated something was brewing.

"I'll let you know in a couple of days," he said.

Greg Anthony attempted to take the high road in his first interview since Isiah Thomas lashed out at his analysis of the Knicks' 2006 Draft.

"I don't really want to comment on anything Isiah has to say," Anthony said. "I don't want to discuss him personally, but I don't have a problem discussing the prospects of the team, as it relates to the rest of the league. It's not worth commenting on. We're in the business of being criticized. It comes with the territory.

"I think their team makeup is a problem, not the individual players," Anthony added. "They have guys who do a lot of good things on the basketball floor but I don't know if they complement each other."

In order for Eddy Curry to reach his potential, Isiah Thomas believes he needs to stop being such a nice guy.

"It takes a while before you get there," Thomas said. "But we need to start now, so that when he does get to that prime age of 25, 26, 27, he owns the league."

"He's a big man," Thomas said after the game. "He's a nice man. But there needs to come a time when it's, 'Don't play with Eddy.' Every minute, second of the game he has to have his presence in the game. Not just his scoring, but his manliness."

The New York Knicks signed free agent Kelvin Cato on Wednesday.

Cato was dealt to the Pistons last February by the Orlando Magic.

He has career averages of 5.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas announced today that the team has exercised the third-year options on the contracts for forward/center Channing Frye, forward David Lee and guard Nate Robinson.

As part of the collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts are two years in length, with team options for the player?s third and fourth seasons.