Isiah Thomas is either not an early riser or he's closing in on another deal.

The Knicks' president was conspicuously absent from yesterday's game and the official word from the club was that Thomas is out of town on business. That business could include trying to swing a trade for Portland forward/center Theo Ratliff, a deal that Thomas has been working on for months.

The Knicks, according to a league source, are willing to trade Penny Hardaway's contract for Ratliff, while the Blazers would prefer to expand the trade to include Ruben Patterson and David Lee. Thomas and Larry Brown have said repeatedly that they aren't looking to part with any of their younger players.

Acquiring Ratliff certainly would pacify Brown, who said as recently as Friday that he is looking for a shot-blocker.