Knicks pick up Tracy McGrady

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The New York Knicks acquired former scoring champion Tracy McGrady on Thursday in a three-team swap with the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings. The deal left them on the verge of being able to offer two maximum salary contracts to the 2010 free agent class that could be headlined by LeBron James.

Amare Stoudemire could be in the market for one if he decides to leave Phoenix — where he’ll again finish the season after spending the weeks before the deadline atop the trade rumor mill.

Chicago, Washington and Sacramento all cleared enough salary in moves before the 3 p.m. deadline to be able to afford a max player, and the Clippers got close.

By including Jared Jeffries in the deal for McGrady, whose $22.5 million contract expires after this season, the Knicks removed $6.9 million from next season’s payroll and left them with about $32 million in salary cap space.

The Knicks sent Jeffries and rookie Jordan Hill to Houston along with a protected first-round pick in 2012, and gave the Rockets the right to exchange first-round picks in 2011. The Rockets will get high-scoring guard Kevin Martin and forward Hilton Armstrong from Sacramento, while the Kings received Larry Hughes from the Knicks, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from Houston and sent guard Sergio Rodriguez to New York.

The Knicks also dealt Nate Robinson to Boston along with Marcus Landry for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker and a future conditional second-round pick.

The Bulls traded power forward Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte for a future, protected first-round pick and the expiring contracts of guards Flip Murray and Acie Law.