LAMPE TALKS RUN INTO BUYOUT SNAG
By MARC BERMAN
July 4, 2003 -- At least Maciej Lampe has a sense of humor.
The 7-foot Polish forward wants to request "30" as his Knick jersey number to recognize his shocking fall out of the first round. (Frank Williams already has the number).
But the Lampe contract-buyout negotiations with Real Madrid are no laughing matter, and they could hamstring the Knicks' free-agency plans if they last much longer.
Sources believe the Knicks will likely have to take a $900,000 chunk out of their $4.9 million mid-level exception if they want Lampe for next season.
If the Knicks did that, they would have just $4 million left to sign a free agent. Their top big-man priorities ? 7-footer Rasho Nesterovic, and P.J Brown ? may get higher offers. At least players can't sign offers until July 16, giving the Knicks time.
The buyout number stands at $2 million. The Knicks and Lampe's reps have yet been able to whittle it down. Real Madrid has been rigid so far, the Spanish team even hesitating to give permission for Lampe to play summer league.
The Knicks are allowed to pay $350,000 of Lampe's buyout. Lampe must pick up the rest. Under the cap, the Knicks can only pay Lampe the league minimum $367,000 as a second-round pick unless they take a chunk out of their mid-level exception.
What's also hurting the Knicks is not having their $1.4M lower cap exception to offer Lampe. Over-the-cap teams can't use the $1.4M exception two years in a row. Last August, the Knicks used the minimum exception to sign center Michael Doleac. The Knicks could have instead signed Doleac to the same dollar amount and taken the money out of the then-$4.5M million exception.
Lampe, meanwhile, is in Chicago working with Michael Jordan's trainer, Tim Grover. Neither Lampe nor 7-6 Slavko Vranes, whose agent is negotiating a buyout from his Serbian team, have clearance to play summer league.
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The Knicks filled their three assistant-coach openings, and John Starks doesn't sound optimistic about rejoining the franchise as a coaching associate ? the title formerly held by assistant Mike Malone.
Coaching associates aren't permitted to sit on the bench.
"I'm interested but I haven't spoken to Don Chaney in three weeks and he didn't know if they were going to have a position," Starks said.
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