Jamal Crawford was the prize acquisition made by Knicks president Isiah Thomas prior to last season, but when his name came up in a credible trade rumor this week, it was evidence of the active involvement in trade talks of Knicks coach Larry Brown. An Eastern Conference executive and a Western Conference personnel expert said Brown has been working the phones hard.

Crawford was mentioned as part of a proposed three-way deal with Orlando and Denver in which he would have gone to the Magic, who would have sent Steve Francis to the Nuggets. Denver was going to send backup point guard Earl Watson and Bryon Russell to the Knicks and injured forward Nene and Voshon Lenard to the Magic. The Nuggets also would have gotten Trevor Ariza from the Knicks.

The deal died because Francis' salary next season would have put the Nuggets in danger of paying luxury tax and because Orlando couldn't be sure how Nene would come back from knee surgery. But that doesn't mean the Knicks don't still want Watson.

Brown recently listed backup point guard as a priority, and a deal with Crawford going to the Nuggets for Watson would work under salary-cap rules. If Ariza were included, the Knicks also would have to take back the expiring contract of Russell. Crawford would fill the Nuggets' need for a shooting guard without costing nearly as much as Francis.