Isiah in, Brown out

ESPN.com:NEW YORK — The New York Knicks put Larry Brown out of his coaching misery Thursday, ending weeks of uncertainty by firing the Hall of Fame coach with four years and a reported $40 million left on his contract. President and general manager Isiah Thomas will replace Brown as coach.

In Brown’s one season in New York, the Knicks stumbled to a 23-59 record — second worst in the NBA and matching the most losses in club history — while Brown publicly feuded with Stephon Marbury and other players.

But the postseason may have been even more difficult for Brown.

His coaching status had been in limbo since reports surfaced in May that owner James Dolan was looking to buy out Brown’s contract. It was at about that time that Brown called himself a “dead man walking” because of the uncertainty.

Brown’s agent, Joe Glass, had said he wouldn’t accept a buyout, so the Knicks took their time with the decision. That created an awkward situation in which Brown was running the Knicks’ workouts of draft prospects without knowing what role he had within the organization. The draft is next Wednesday.

With no financial settlement reached, ESPN.com has learned that a clause in Brown’s contract designates NBA commissioner David Stern as the arbitrator of any financial dispute between the sides, meaning the final chapter of this drama has yet to play out.

“No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance,” Thomas said in a statement released by the Knicks. “This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.

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