Knicks get Marbury in eight-player deal

NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Two weeks after becoming New York's president of basketball operations, Isiah Thomas acquired Stephon Marbury from Phoenix in an eight-player trade.

"We arguably got one of the top 10 players in the NBA," Thomas said Monday after bringing the two-time All-Star guard back to his hometown.

The Knicks also received injury-plagued guard Penny Hardaway and center Cezary Trybanski in return for oft-injured forward Antonio McDyess, point guards Howard Eisley and Charlie Ward, rookie forward Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic, a 2004 first-round pick and a future first-round pick.

Former Knicks General Manager Scott Layden failed in his attempts to land a point guard in four-plus seasons as general manager before getting fired on Dec. 22.

Eisley and Ward shared the position for most of Layden's tenure.

Thomas also got rid of McDyess, Layden's prize acquisition in April 2002. McDyess fractured his left kneecap and missed all of 2002-03 and the first 17 games this season.

Phoenix signed Marbury to a four-year extension worth the maximum $76.7 million in October.