Knicks Acquire NBA All-Star Antonio McDyess

McDyess brings size and versatility to the Big Apple. William R. Sallaz NBAE/Getty Images

NEW YORK, June 26, 2002 – New York Knickerbockers President and General Manager Scott Layden announced today that they have acquired NBA All-Star Antonio McDyess, the draft rights to Frank Williams, the 25th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, and a 2003 second-round draft choice from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson and the draft rights to Maybyner Hilario, the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

“Antonio McDyess is the kind of talent that improves our team immediately by adding size, strength and versatility,” Layden said. “While we would like to thank Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson for all of their hard work over the years in a Knicks uniform, we felt this trade was not something we could pass up.”

McDyess, 27, is a seven-year NBA veteran with career averages of 17.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 442 games. The 6-9, 245-pounder was selected to represent the Western Conference at the 2001 NBA All-Star Game in Washington D.C. and won a Gold Medal for the USA at the 2000 Olympic Games at Sydney. He was named to the 1998-99 All-NBA Third Team.

“In McDyess, we have a seasoned veteran and NBA All-Star,” Head Coach Don Chaney said. “He has the ability to score and rebound. It gives us a player that we can go to in the post and demand double-teams from opponents.”

Although McDyess played in only 10 games last season due to surgery to repair the patella tendon in his left knee, he had one of his finer seasons in 2000-01, averaging 20.8 points and 12.1 rebounds in 70 games for the Denver Nuggets. In his first six seasons in the NBA, McDyess had missed only 27 total games.

Williams, 22, was selected 25th overall in the 2002 NBA Draft after his junior season at Illinois. In 101 career games, the 6-3, 205-pound guard averaged 14.3 points and 4.3 assists. He was named Honorable Mention All-America by The Associated Press as a junior.

After being acquired in 1998-99, Camby had spent the last four seasons with the New York Knicks and averaged 10.2 points and 8.9 rebounds in 197 games. Last season, the 6-11 center averaged 11.1 points and 11.1 rebounds in 29 games.

Mark Jackson was re-acquired by New York on Feb. 22, 2001 from the Toronto Raptors and averaged 8.4 points and 7.4 assists in 82 games this past season. The 15-year NBA veteran is the franchise’s second all-time leading assist-maker with 4,791 and fourth in NBA history (9,840).