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Friday, February 23, 2001
Knicks send Childs packing for Jackson



NEW YORK – The New York Knicks reacquired a point guard from their past Thursday, getting Mark Jackson from the Toronto Raptors along with Muggsy Bogues for Chris Childs and a No. 1 draft pick.

Mark Jackson
Brooklyn native and former Knick Mark Jackson will return to the Big Apple.

The trade was completed just before the 6 p.m. NBA trading deadline.

The 35-year-old Jackson, in his 14th season, spent his first five years with the Knicks and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1987-88. On Tuesday, he moved past Isiah Thomas into fourth place on the NBA career assists list.

Childs has spent the past several seasons as the Knicks' backup point guard behind Charlie Ward. For now, coach Lenny Wilkens said Childs will be the backup to starter Alvin Williams for one of the Knicks' newest Eastern Conference rivals.

"He played his heart out for us, and we have to thank him for that," Knicks general manager Scott Layden said. "He was with the club a long time and has been through a lot of big wins and great playoff games."

Jackson has been a big part of many Knicks rivalries, both for and against them. He spent six seasons with the Indiana Pacers – helping eliminate New York in last season's Eastern Conference finals – and was best friends with Knicks nemesis Reggie Miller.

"It's really coming full circle for him," Layden said. "We're excited about bringing him back home."

Bogues, a 14-year veteran, was added to the trade to make it work under salary-cap rules.

Toronto will receive Seattle's lottery-protected No. 1 draft pick, which the Knicks acquired in the Patrick Ewing trade.

The trade was the second of this month for the Knicks, who earlier acquired Othella Harrington from Vancouver for Erick Strickland and another of the No. 1 picks they received in the Ewing deal.

"It appeared to me that nothing was going to happen, but that's the ebb and flow of this time of year," Layden said. "This did not heat up until the early or late afternoon."

Jackson has been averaging 8.5 points and 9.2 assists for the Raptors.

Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy refused to say whether Jackson would be a starter or a backup, saying he wished to speak to his team first.

"His best quality is he's one of the best decision-makers in the NBA. He gets the ball to people on time and on target," Van Gundy said.

Jackson's greatest weakness is his lack of speed, while Childs has been inconsistent throughout his 4 1/2 seasons in New York.

"I'll be able to get more playing time, and I like the uptempo style Toronto will play," said Childs, who was at a barber shop when he learned he had been traded.

Childs is averaging only 4.8 points and 4.6 assists, although he had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists Wednesday night against Detroit.

"Childs has tons of playoff experience. He's very tough and strong- minded, and he's a guy who can make big time shots," Wilkens said. "I feel Alvin will pick up in Mark's area. I'm confident with the point guard situation."

Bogues has played in only three games this season because of a chronic knee injury. To make room for him on their active roster, the Knicks placed center Travis Knight on the injured list with a sprained left ankle.

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AUDIO VIDEO
 Toronto head coach Lenny Wilkens was looking to change the team's chemistry with the trade.
wav: 729 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6

 Toronto head coach Lenny Wilkens is expecting all three players to step in and contribute.
wav: 222 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6



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