George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel writes: A short story in the New York Post intimating that Orlando Magic guard Tracy McGrady wants to pursue a baseball career with the New York Yankees was viewed as one of the lighter moments in a frustrating week for this franchise.

Although McGrady hasn't played baseball since pitching for Auburndale High School in 1996, his agent, Arn Tellem, told the Post that the Yanks are interested in McGrady.

"He is a very good pitcher, is looking to start a two-sport career and is a big Yankees fan," Tellem said.

Although McGrady does have the natural skills to pursue a two-sport career, it seems unlikely. "Man, they're digging that stuff up again?" McGrady said. "My agent put me out there."

McGrady does have a love for baseball. In an interview with the Sentinel this summer, McGrady said he could pitch in the big leagues.

"For sure," he said. "I'm ready for the Yankees. Right now I can throw about 90 mph. I've got it all. Knuckleball. Curveball. Slider. And I can hit. No joke."

Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: The New York newspapers are all atwitter about the Knicks trying to acquire Seattle SuperSonics rejuvenated power forward Vin Baker.

Whether it is fact, fiction or wishful thinking, almost every paper in the metropolitan New York area said the Knicks were rebuffed when they offered Charlie Ward, Travis Knight and Othella Harrington - following up on a Boston Globe report Sunday.

Now, the Gotham papers are speculating the Knicks' desperation for an interior presence is going to force general manager Scott Layden to include Latrell Sprewell in any offer to Seattle since Sprewell is the only tradable asset the Knicks have.

Baker said before Tuesday night's game that he had not heard about the rumors, but he did not exactly give Seattle a heartfelt endorsement.

"I'm basically happy here," Baker said. "Things are going well here. Obviously, you always have the idea of wanting to go home. New York is right down the street from my friends and family, so it's always in the back of your mind. But things are going well here."

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Patrick Ewing will be in foreign territory come Dec. 15. For the first time since after the trading deadline of the 1996-97 season, he won't be able to decide his future.

Ewing, the Magic's fast-fading backup center, can be traded Dec. 15, the same as all free agents signed over the summer. GM Scott Layden can really work the phones in 21/2 weeks to add big-man insurance, gauging whether players he inquired about over the summer are available for trade.

Some possibilities include Calvin Booth, Joe Smith and Shawn Bradley. Golden State's Mark Jackson signed late and can't be traded until early January - something the Warriors intend to do.

According to Magic GM John Gabriel, neither the Knicks - nor any other team - have inquired about Ewing and he doubts anything will happen, though his role has been considerably downsized to unrecognizable for Knick fans who remember him only as their franchise center.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that Marcus Camby's return is not stopping Scott Layden from trying to upgrade the Knicks front line.

The Knicks have expressed interest in Denver power forward Raef LaFrentz, who will become a free agent next summer and whose asking price may not be met by the Nuggets.

Two other options are Seattle's Vin Baker and Cleveland's Michael Doleac. All three players are taller than 6-10 and can make a 15-foot jump shot.

Everyone has an opinion about Peter Vecsey. You either love him or hate him, there is no middle ground.

But Vecsey is on the mark about a few things in today's New York Post. Apparently the Knicks have been inquiring about almost anyone who is 6'10" or taller. The gem in Scott Layden's eye appears to be Raef LaFrents. But as Vecsey puts it, "Layden, meanwhile, insults the Nuggets' intelligence by offering the variety of packages that couldn't get New York a reappearance of [Miami's] Vladimir Stepania."

Vecsey points out that Marcus Camby's trade value is bottomed out at the moment. Allan Houston is BYC and attached to a 6-year, $100 million contract. That means for the Knicks to get better, Latrell Sprewell's name needs to get on the table.

Vecsey points out that while the Knicks are hot for the likes of LaFrentz and Dale Davis, the Knicks should set their sights a bit lower. Lower as in Vin Baker. Or perhaps Karl Malone?

Vecsey states, "The Mailman desperately desires to finish his career (next season figures to be the finale) competing for a championship. From what I'm told, he's pressuring owner Larry Miller to trade him, preferably to a Western Conference club. Sources say the Mavericks and Blazers already have propositioned the Jazz with offers that get more tempting with each evening's adversity."

ESPN's Ric Bucher goes a step further and reports that trade discussions have taken place between Dallas and Utah regarding the Mailman. The reported deal: Juwan Howard and a pair of first round picks for Malone. Utah has declined, supposedly because of a personality conflict between Larry Miller and Mark Cuban. Bucher goes on to say that Cuban has even tried constructing 3-team deals to land Malone. One of those deals would send LaFrentz to the Jazz in place of Howard.

Today, we change the name of RealGM Wiretap to "Ripley's: Believe it or Not."

Marcus Camby has never played in more than 63 games in a full season. The best he can do this year is 68 games.

The New York Post reports that after being sidelined all season by a heel injury, Camby said he plans to make his debut tonight at the Garden, where the Knicks (6-8) take on the Hawks (5-9).

Fussy Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy made sure not to blame the slow start of the Knicks on the absence of Camby. That doesn't mean he and the rest of the Knicks aren't jacked to have him back.

"He'll really help our energy level," Allan Houston said. "He gives us a boost of energy with his offensive rebounding, with the way you can throw it ahead to him on the break; with a blocked shot that picks your spirits up."

Steve Popper of the New York Times writes that When Camby is activated from the injured list, the most likely candidates to be dropped from the roster are Larry Robinson and Lavor Postell.

Bulls captain Charles Oakley returned to his offseason home in heroic style Saturday when he purchased 100 tickets to the Bulls-Knicks game and donated them to relatives of New York firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

''That could've easily been me who was killed as an innocent victim on the ground or in air, just like the average person,'' said Oakley, who played 10 of his 17 NBA seasons with the Knicks. ''One of my financial advisers has an office in the World Financial Center and I could've been 20 feet away from the explosion. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing on television. It looked like someone dropped a bomb on the entire city.

''The firefighters who risked their lives and died trying to save other people are heroes. They're the real role models. These men and women risk their lives every single day helping save the lives of strangers. After it happened, I told my business manager, Billy Diamond, who lives and works 15 miles away in Springfield, N.J., that I wanted to do something for families of the firefighters who died, and this is what I felt would help pay tribute to these brave people.''

"Most of Charles' career, he's done numerous charitable acts which he never even wanted publicized,'' Diamond said. "However, he's making this announcement public to spur on fellow NBA players [to also help the victims].''

We don't want to say that Charles Oakley isn't happy in Chicago or anything like that. But it seems he's already planning on where to play next season.

Oakley has not ruled out returning to the Knicks when he becomes a free agent after the season, reports the Bergen Record. But the outspoken Bulls forward said he'll have to see what team best suits him.

"I'm going to see. They traded me once, but I don't hold grudges," Oakley said Saturday before going scoreless in the Knicks' 78-71 win at the Garden. "I'll go where I think is going to be best for me. I don't know right now what I'm going to do. L.A., Washington, New York, Cleveland. I don't know."

All Oakley knows is he won't be back in Chicago.

He has not been happy with how the Bulls are playing, and he doesn't always agree with decisions coach Tim Floyd makes. Two weeks ago, after a 53-point beating by Minnesota, he was fined $50,000 by the Bulls for criticizing Floyd.

Oakley said he would not demand a trade, but it's up to the Bulls to move him or lose him come next summer. "I don't bail out. I just wait for my time to get out," said Oakley, who will be 38 next month and believes he has a few more years left.

For the third straight game poor free throw shooting cost the Bulls dearly, hitting only 9-of-17 free throws in the fourth quarter of their 78-71 loss in New York.  The Bulls had trailed by only three points with 18 seconds remaining, finishing the game shooting 64.9 percent overall from the charity stripe the culprit.  The story was the same at Golden State and at Milwaukee in the two prior games, both winnable but the basic skill of free throw shooting lacking.

The positive from the game was the stellar play of the younger players, especially rookie Trenton Hassell who held Latrell Sprewell to only five points.  Eddy Curry was instrumental in the Bulls comeback from 17 down at half time, scoring 5 points in 6 minutes, while veterans Greg Anthony and Charles Oakley - to their disappointment - combined for only two minutes in the fourth quarter.  Floyd said he went away from the veterans to inject some more offense late in the game, while Anthony and Oakley were both preaching defense.  "Sometimes defending and rebounding is as important as offense," Anthony said. "It's frustrating because we were down six going into the fourth and I felt we could still win the game.''

The Knicks' need for Marcus Camby reached a critical state after forward Clarence Weatherspoon was diagnosed with a tendon tear that will cause him to miss at least 2-4 weeks.

The Star-Ledger reports that for the first time since early October, the Knicks center went through an entire practice yesterday, saying afterwards he probably won't play in today's Garden matinee against the Chicago Bulls. Even though the need for him grew more desperate with the announcement that Clarence Weatherspoon will miss two to four weeks with a foot injury, Camby will not budge until his own sore foot tells him that he is ready.

Weatherspoon's absence will likely send Scott Layden to the waiver wire this weekend. One of the few big men available is Dickie Simpkins, who was signed and then cut by Atlanta last week after one game.