Fiscally Responsible Isiah Passes On Deadline Trade

Link:The Knicks’ master plan is to build with their young guys, let them mature and not add to future payroll unless a superstar along the lines of Carter or Garnett becomes available. Even the chances of Thomas using his $5 million mid-level exception this summer has become slim, according to sources.

“While it’s maddening, that’s part of the journey,” Thomas said of being patient. “To go from where we were, to where we are, to where we want to go - to get there in one season is pretty dramatic. Normally those are a couple of years.”

The Knicks’ payroll next year will drop from a league-high $123 million to about $85M, as the contracts of Jalen Rose, Maurice Taylor, Shandon Anderson and Allan Houston will go off the books. In two years, the pacts of Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis and Malik Rose will be shed. The payroll structure then will look normal.

Next year also will be the first time since the 1980s the Knicks’ payroll will decrease. Brass hopes the team is not just cheaper, but better.

Thomas denied yesterday making a formal offer for the Nets’ Carter in recent days. However, as the Post’s Fred Kerber reported yesterday, the Knicks indeed offered for Carter a package of Channing Frye, Jerome James and Rose. The Knicks did not offer Jamal Crawford, but the Nets were rebuffed when they tried to get rookie Renaldo Balkman added. The Knicks offered Frye and Francis for Jason Kidd.

The Knicks contacted the Timberwolves to ask again about Garnett, but really had taken themselves out of the running when they bought out Rose’s and Taylor’s expiring contracts in training camp. Garnett, who can opt out after the 2007-08 season, might become more available this summer, but the Knicks will not have expiring contracts to dangle then either.

Thomas believes he now can make trades with the talent he has assembled, rather than with expiring contracts. That remains to be seen.

One league executive said: “The only player teams are really interested in is David Lee, but they’d take Channing reluctantly.”

As for contacting the Nets about Carter, it was “just due diligence,” Thomas said.

“It’s safe to say there’s 29 other teams we made contact with,” he said. “I’ve been pretty straight-up with you guys. I don’t see anything on the horizon. We contacted 29 teams to see who was available. New Jersey was one of them.

“We did our homework,” Thomas added. “I didn’t make an offer.”