Reports: Greece could be interested in Stephon Marbury's services

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Reports: Greece could be interested in Stephon Marbury's services


BY FRANK ISOLA AND MITCH LAWRENCE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Thursday, January 22nd 2009, 4:00 AM



A European basketball power may be willing to broker a deal that would lead to Stephon Marbury's release from the Knicks.

According to reports out of Athens, Greece, the team Olympiakos is interested in signing Marbury, who has been banished from the Knicks since Dec. 1.

Olympiakos suffered a key loss this week when former Atlanta Hawk Josh Childress came down with a sports hernia that could sideline him for the next two months.

Olympiakos may be willing to pay a portion of Marbury's salary. The Knicks will likely wait until after next month's trading deadline, on Feb. 19, before making a decision on Marbury's future. If Marbury is released after March 1 he would not be eligible for the playoffs.

Garden chairman James Dolan may be willing to release Marbury if the exiled point guard gives back $2 million of his $20.8 salary, WFAN radio reported Wednesday.

The station's afternoon host, Mike Francesa, said he gathered that information during a causal conversation with Dolan. The Knicks say that Dolan doesn't recall saying that and reiterated that Dolan has given team president Donnie Walsh the authority to decide Marbury's future.

Marbury has said that he's willing to give back only $1 million. There has been increasing animosity between the two sides over the last six weeks, highlighted by Marbury's decision to attend a Lakers-Knicks game in Los Angeles. Marbury also stormed out of a meeting with Walsh after 15 minutes.

The only sign of Marbury at the Garden Wednesday night was his friend, rapper Fat Joe, sitting courtside.

TRADE TALK: A deal that would send Jermaine O'Neal to Miami and Shawn Marion to Toronto is progressing. According to a league sources, the two teams have exchanged medical records, usually a precursor to a deal. The Knicks had talked to Miami about a Marion-for-Eddy Curry deal, but Curry has appeared in only one game this season due to a knee injury.

D-RAILED? The LeBron James-to-the-Knicks in 2010 plan hit a speed bump. In the latest issue of GQ magazine, James takes a subtle shot at the Knicks during a pickup game against five GQ staff members. "They don't play no defense," James is quoted as saying. "They don't play no defense. New York Knicks."...Jerome James (ruptured Achilles) will have surgery Thursday.

Hmmmm, intersting???