Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-sentinel reports that the Heat quickly denied the rumor that Alonzo Mourning could be traded to the Knicks.

"Coach [Pat] Riley has gone on record saying that Zo will be on the team this year, and it's our intention to re-sign Zo at the end of the season," said Heat spokesman Tim Donovan, with Riley and General Manager Randy Pfund in Los Angeles for the funeral of Lakers' broadcaster Chick Hearn.

The New York Daily News reported on Thursday that according to an "Eastern Conference official" Knicks General Manager Scott Layden called Riley to discuss a swap involving Mourning for swingman Latrell Sprewell and either forward Kurt Thomas or forward Clarence Weatherspoon, two former Heat players.

The "official" also said the Heat rejected Mourning's bid for a contract extension.

The trade doesn't make sense on several levels, with the most glaring contradiction having to do with Riley's insistence on clearing salary cap room for next season's glut of stellar free agents, including Tim Duncan.

Mourning, 32, is in the final year of his contract, which will net him $20 million, so why should Riley take on the future back-loaded contracts of Sprewell, Thomas or Weatherspoon? Sprewell and Thomas will earn a combined $18.9 million next year.

Another well-traveled rumor is forward/center Brian Grant (guaranteed $66.5 million through 2006-07) going to the 76ers in a sign-and-trade for free-agent swingman Matt Harpring and enigmatic forward Derrick Coleman. That would make monetary sense for the Heat because Coleman is in the final year of his contract, in which he'll reap $9.3 million this year.

However, Riley questioned why the Sixers didn't opt to re-sign Harpring, and Grant's agent Mark Bartelstein extinguished the brushfire.

"There's nothing going on with that right now," Bartelstein said.