Knicks Exchange Oakley for Camby

The New York Knicks weren’t shopping Charles Oakley around the NBA. But when the Toronto Raptors mentioned Marcus Camby, the Knicks decided they had to make the deal.

So Camby moved to New York on Thursday in exchange for Oakley, second-round draft choice Sean Marks from California and cash.

It was a swap of age and experience for youth and potential and the Knicks were compelled to make it.

“Marcus fills a need for us to become younger and more athletic in the front court,” General Manager Ernie Grunfeld said in New York. “He led the league in blocked shots and gives us versatility and youth. He has a tremendous up side.”

Age was becoming a factor for New York. After trading all four of their picks from the past two drafts, the Knicks’ youngest player was 27-year-old Allan Houston. Camby is 24.

“This gives us more flexibility [and] makes us more intimidating in the defensive end and more athletic than we’ve been in the past,” Grunfeld said.

The price for Camby, who was the second choice in the 1996 draft, was steep. Oakley, 34, has been one of the anchors of the Knick frontcourt for the past decade, after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls in 1988.

Grunfeld said parting with Oakley was difficult.

“We have tremendous respect for Charles and what he has meant to the franchise,” Grunfeld said. “It was a difficult thing to do. . . . You have very strong feelings. We grew up together and we’ve been through a lot of battles together. It’s never easy to part with someone of his character.”

Still, Grunfeld said, Camby’s potential made it impossible to ignore the deal.

Camby, a forward, led the league with 3.65 blocks a game last season and averaged 12.1 points and 7.4 rebounds. But injuries limited him to 63 games in each of his first two NBA seasons.

Oakley, a forward, averaged 9.0 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Knicks last season.

As part of the deal, the Knicks agreed to pick up part of the $10-million balloon payment Oakley is scheduled to receive next season.

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The NBA Players Assn. has all but given up hope on preventing an owners’ lockout.

“There will be a lockout unless a miracle takes place, which probably won’t happen,” players’ union director Billy Hunter said.

There was no optimism from the owners, either, as the league was preparing to shut down July 1 for a work stoppage that could extend well into the fall.

Talks broke off earlier this week, and no new talks are scheduled.

“The owners want to know what it’ll cost them to do business,” said Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik, claiming at least 14 teams lost money last season.

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Though the Chicago Bulls wouldn’t say who is on the list to replace Phil Jackson as coach, they did say who isn’t

General Manager Jerry Krause ruled out former Bulls Bill Cartwright and John Paxson. Paxson doesn’t want to coach, and Cartwright, a Bull assistant, is not considered to be ready.

Speculation has centered on former Seattle coach George Karl, Kansas Coach Roy Williams and Iowa State Coach Tim Floyd.

Being acceptable to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman is most important for the new coach. The three are free agents this summer and their return could depend on the coach.

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The Golden State Warriors will host the All-Star game in 2000, Commissioner David Stern announced.

Oakland beat out three other cities--Boston, Portland and Vancouver--for the right to hold the annual game on Feb. 13, 2000.

The All-Star game was last held in the Bay area in 1967.