The rebuilding effort by Isiah Thomas is as unsightly as promised, probably more so, and there is no telling whether his next bold move, which appears imminent, will make matters better or worse.
Thomas, the Knicks' president, has a deal in place to acquire guard Steve Francis from the Orlando Magic, and the trade could be completed as early as Wednesday, according to a person involved in the discussions. The person, who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the negotiations publicly, said a trade bringing Francis to New York was "more likely than not."
Knicks officials would not confirm or deny that a deal was in place, but they have made no attempts to dispel the recent rumors about a Francis deal.
The current proposal, according to the person, would send guard Jamal Crawford, forward Maurice Taylor and possibly the swingman Trevor Ariza to Orlando. The Knicks would obtain Francis and forward Pat Garrity.
Penny Hardaway's expiring contract, which the Knicks have sought to use in a number of potential deals, would not be included in the Francis trade. Hardaway could still be moved in a deal to land one of the Knicks' other targets, among them Portland's Theo Ratliff and Darius Miles, and Denver's Earl Watson.