Chronicle Confirms Knicks

Anderson drawing interest
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle

The Rockets have received a series of sign-and-trade offers for Shandon Anderson brokered by his agent Dan Fegan, including offers from the Knicks, sources close to the talks said Thursday.

No offer currently on the table has moved the Rockets from their priority of signing Anderson, the sources said, and Anderson has not ruled out accepting the Rockets' current offer.

Anderson and Fegan were not available for comment Thursday, but the sources said an agreement on a deal for Anderson to sign with the Rockets could come as soon as today. But in part to try to secure a more lucrative deal for his client, Fegan has been able to put together deals with several teams for the Rockets to consider, including the offer from the Knicks.

Rockets officials would not comment on on-going negotiations, but according to sources they have agreed to at least consider any trade offers.

Excluding cap space assumed by unsigned players, the Rockets have $6.5 million of space remaining with signing Anderson the team's next priority.

But by renouncing rights to players, they could move further under the $42.5 million salary cap, allowing them to acquire a player or group of players that would take up more cap space than Anderson.

Anderson, a 6-6 swingman, averaged 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season. He averaged 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in his first season with the Rockets, increasing his scoring every month. He has started every Rockets game the past two seasons and has not missed a game since 1996-97, his rookie season, a streak of 335 consecutive games played, the fifth longest active streak in the league.

Anderson was the second-round pick of the Utah Jazz in 1996-97 when Knicks general manager Scott Layden was the Jazz's vice president.