Sounding less confident that Eddy Curry would pass his heart tests and become a Knick, team president Isiah Thomas said yesterday he wouldn't know the outcome of Curry's medical exams until later today.

Curry sat and watched practice yesterday in street clothes and can't participate with the team until he receives medical clearance.

Thomas said on Tuesday night, when he announced the trade, that he was confident Curry would pass the physical. Curry has been diagnosed with a benign arrhythmia in his heart and doctors are looking to see if he has a potentially more serious, even potentially fatal, heart condition.

Thomas said he was also waiting for further medical information.

"I still feel we don't know everything yet," Thomas said. "There's still a lot that's yet to be learned and until all the tests are conclusive and we know all the information we can't make a better decision. But right now we still have some test results that we're waiting for, and also some more information to come from Chicago."

When asked directly, Thomas would not say if he was as confident as he had been Tuesday night.

"I'm hopeful, I'm hopeful," he said. "Two nights ago, I didn't know. We had to get the doctors to do all the tests. Until the doctors come back and they say either he can or he can't, that's when you know."

The Bulls and Knicks agreed to a 6 o'clock deadline tonight to conclude the deal, in which Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney, Jermaine Jackson and draft picks were sent to Chicago for Curry, but the sides could agree to extend it.

if Curry fails his physical, the deal would be rescinded.

The Knicks refused to make Curry available to the media yesterday. Thomas said the player's demeanor was positive, but he chose his words carefully when discussing only "the possibility" of Curry joining the team.

"He's been great," Thomas said. "He's very happy about the possibility of being on the Knicks team, and we're very happy about the possibility of having him."