A spokesman for Madison Square Garden told the media tonight: ?Now that the Detroit situation is settled, obviously Isiah will be reaching out to Larry.?

Strained negotiations between the Detroit Pistons and the Larry Brown camp are drawing to a close.  The result will be that Brown is bought out of the remainder of his contract and the coach will be free to coach anywhere he likes starting next season.

The Knicks are expected to make a strong pitch to lure Brown to New York and can do so without having to compensate the Pistons.  

The differences between Brown and his employer proved irreconcilable.

?Larry was relieved of his coaching duties today,? said a Pistons spokesman, Matt Dobek. "The Pistons and Brown came to a resolution on his contractual situation. No other terms are being released, but it would allow him to coach next season."

Brown is from Long Island and called the Knicks? head coaching position a ?dream job? in a New York Post story.

?Larry won't sit for an entire season, maybe he will sit for a while,? said an NBA executive.  ?Larry's a coach, and he'll be served best as a coach.?