NBA Insider with Ken Berger

Greenburgh, N.Y. – The morning after a rare blowout victory that should have provided some momentum and good will, the Knicks instead found themselves embroiled in the latest Stephon Marbury controversy.

UPDATE: Marbury saw ankle surgeon Dr. William Hamilton today to determine if he has bone spurs in his left ankle. Hamilton diagnosed a "chronically fractured bone spur" but did not recommend surgery, which would be season-ending. Marbury will wear a walking boot for three days and be re-evaluated with an MRI.

But both Marbury and coach Isiah Thomas continued to feed speculation that there is something more to Marbury’s sudden decision to take care of what he called a “wear and tear” injury.

“With the amount of people that cover our team, you guys dig and you find every story,” Thomas said. “So if there’s a story here, all of you are equipped enough and dig hard enough, you’ll find it if there’s a story here. And if there’s not story, I guess you’ll just write that it’s no story and write it as an injury.”

Asked if there’s a story here, Thomas said, “Not that I’m aware of. Everything that we’re telling you is all that I know.”

Neither Thomas nor Marbury was able to clarify why no mention had been made Saturday that Marbury didn’t practice. Thomas said Saturday was the first he heard of Marbury’s “wear and tear” injury, and that he had not noticed him hobbling or favoring the ankle in games or practices prior to that.

Having bone spurs removed from ankles typically is an elective procedure for NBA players. Most of them elect to have it done in the offseason – including Marbury, who had bone spurs removed from both ankles during the summers of 2002 and ’03. Hamilton performed both sets of procedures.

The recovery time for such a procedure typically is 8-12 weeks, meaning Marbury would not return this season.

It would also mean the Knicks would not be able to trade Marbury by next month’s trade deadline – at least not to a team that needs him for something other than his $21.9 million contract, which expires in 2009. Marbury again addressed the possibility of being traded today.

“I want to play basketball in New York,” Marbury said. “Like I said, I love New York and I love the Knicks. This is where my heart is at, and like I said, this is a business. And in this business, trades do happen. Guys do get traded. So I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I would be mad about it. I don’t want that to happen. For myself, I want to finish my career here.”

Asked about his relationship with Thomas, Marbury said, “Fine. We’re good.”