Rice Goes to Houston in Three-Team Trade

The Knicks traded three-time All-Star Glen Rice to the Houston Rockets in a three-team deal involving Dallas that brings Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley to New York.

As part of the trade announced Friday night, Muggsy Bogues went from the Knicks to the Mavericks, and Dallas sent the rights to second-round draft pick Kyle Hall to the Rockets.

Rice, one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history, averaged a career-low 12 points for the Knicks last season when he was used primarily in a reserve role.

He will move into a starting role in Houston as the Rockets begin to adjust to life without Hakeem Olajuwon.

“Glen Rice is a guy I’ve coveted and this organization has coveted for a long time because he is one of the premiere shooters in the league,” Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “He’s a guy that fits with the young penetrating guys we have and I have a really good feeling about him.”

The Knicks acquired Rice from the Lakers last summer in a blockbuster trade that sent Patrick Ewing to Seattle. Bogues never played a game for New York after being acquired from Toronto in February in the Mark Jackson-Chris Childs trade.

The acquisition of Anderson and Eisley means that the Knicks, who already had a logjam at the shooting guard and small forward positions, now have a similar glut at point guard.

Along with Eisley, the Knicks already have Mark Jackson and Charlie Ward signed to long-term contracts.

The Mavericks have been eager to trade Eisley and have targeted Miami Heat free agent Tim Hardaway as his replacement. Dallas can now do a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat after acquiring a so-called trade exception from Houston that makes it easier to trade players whose salaries are not equal.

The Rockets acquired the trade exception last week in the deal that sent Olajuwon to Toronto.