When Billy King, the 76ers' president and general manager, flew to Boston for the Reebok Pro Summer League two weeks ago, he had more on his mind than evaluating young players.

Finally out from under the imposing shadow of Larry Brown, King was thinking trade from the moment he set foot in the gym at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

And 10 days later, late Wednesday night, he turned that thought - and hard work - into results.

Thanks to inside knowledge of what his fellow general managers wanted and his ability to organize complex negotiations, King engineered a four-team deal that involved the Sixers, the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Sixers got forward Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson and a 2006 second-round pick from the Hawks, plus center Marc Jackson from the Timberwolves.

King sent forward Keith Van Horn to the Knicks and a future No. 1 pick, plus forward Randy Holcomb and cash, to the Hawks.

The Timberwolves got the shooting guard they were looking for in the Knicks' Latrell Sprewell, and the Hawks received salary-cap relief by taking on the contract of Terrell Brandon, the Minnesota point guard who had not played in nearly two years and is expected to retire without playing again.

Everybody, it seemed, got what they wanted. Thanks to King.