Around The Rim

Think everything's hunky-dory for the Knicks in the wake of their improbable run at the NBA title? Think again. Team sources say Latrell Sprewell has told teammates he won't play for coach Jeff Van Gundy again. If Van Gundy returns, Spree wants to be traded to Atlanta....

The Timberwolves are mulling sign-and-trade options involving point guard Terrell Brandon, who can become a free agent on July 1. One possible trade: the Clippers' Lorenzen Wright and L.A.'s NO. 4 pick (which Minnesota could use to take Steve Francis or Baron Davis) for Brandon and the T-wolves' No. 6 pick. One hitch: Brandon has to agree to the deal....

People close to Grant Hill say he's leaning toward re-signing with Detroit. The Pistons are very lucky that Hill doesn't want to play on the West Coast and that the only Eastern Conference team with sufficient cap room to sign him is Chicago....

Those rumors about Cleveland hoping to hire Minnesota assistant Randy Wittman to replace fired coach Mike Fratello have died down. Jim Paxson, who will take over the Cleveland G.M. job July 1, did not speak to Wittman at the NBA predraft camp, and a source close to the Cleveland job search says the Cavs have entered into discussions with former Hornets coach Dave Cowens....

Boston G.M Chris Wallace says the best thing that could happen to potential No. 1 pick Lamar Odom, is to end up on a veteran club. "Lamar is a tremendous talent," says Wallace, "but I don't think his personality is that of a dominating player. He'd be far more comfortable as a setup guy on a team that has quality scorers, instead of a team that will ask him to be the savior."