Isiah Thomas, who never needs a reason to make a trade, may have more incentive than ever to shake up his team.
After three games - all losses - it is clear that Larry Brown is not enamored with the Knicks' point guard situation.

"Look at our roster," Brown said yesterday. "We're not real deep in the backcourt right now."

Doing something about it, however, is no easy task. Most teams are reluctant to make significant changes this early, so it could take another month before any trades are made.

The Denver Nuggets are looking for front-court help with Nene out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The Knicks gladly would trade Malik Rose or Maurice Taylor, but the contracts of both veterans are deemed undesirable.

The Nuggets could emerge as trading partner for several reasons; they have three point guards on their roster - Andre Miller, Earl Boykins and Earl Watson - and Watson is the odd man out thus far. On Sunday, Watson told the Denver Post that he's in a "challenging situation," but that he would not complain over his lack of playing time.