Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Knicks GM Scott Layden admitted the $4.5M exception he must package in a deal for a young player by Dec. 2 comes at a time when teams aren't necessarily in trade mode. But, Layden said, "It's tough to predict our chances of using it. It does expire early in the season. We'll work hard to see if we can use it. It's a chip and teams have expressed interest in getting involved in a trade."