For more than a year, the Knicks have dangled Latrell Sprewell around the league, looking for a taker. For nearly as long, the Knicks have flirted with the prospect of acquiring Philadelphia's Keith Van Horn. Both goals may soon be accomplished in one bold move.

After a week of discussions that began with the Knicks and the Sixers trying to work a deal and has expanded in a series of incarnations involving different teams, a multiteam trade may now be taking shape and may be completed as early as today.

But multiteam trades are notoriously hard to complete and this one, like others, may end up dissolving although it is clear that the Knicks appear intent on reshaping their roster before the 2003-4 season.

According to two team officials familiar with the deal, the latest version would have the Knicks obtaining Van Horn from Philadelphia and sending Sprewell to Minnesota. The Timberwolves would ship Terrell Brandon to Atlanta and Marc Jackson to Philadelphia, and Atlanta would ship Glenn Robinson to Philadelphia.

Although those are the key components to the deal, one N.B.A. team official said, it could eventually wind up including other players.

According to one Eastern Conference official, the key components - Van Horn, Sprewell, Brandon and Robinson - and teams are set. The deal would need more pieces to work from a salary-cap standpoint, with Brandon set to make $11.1 million this season, Robinson earning $10.1 million, Sprewell due to earn $13.5 million and Van Horn $13.3 million. Although the often-injured Brandon has not announced his retirement, it is unlikely that he will play again. A team that acquires him is clearly doing so for salary-cap reasons, with his salary eventually being wiped off the books.