"Marbury meeting

When Stephon Marbury and Donnie Walsh meet face to face today in Manhattan for the first time since Dec. 1, when contract buyout talks ended contentiously, it's officially for an arbitration hearing involving salary Marbury was docked when the Knicks say he refused to play Nov. 26 in Detroit, then was suspended for the next game.

But buyout discussions are expected to resume with a playoff-eligibility deadline looming Sunday and a major issue, Walsh admitted, will be where Marbury might play next and its impact on the Knicks.

"It's all part of the general picture," the team president said. "[It's] a competitive issue."

No such prohibition to keep Marbury from signing with Boston, his most likely destination and a potential first-round opponent if the Knicks make the playoffs, can be put in writing. But Walsh's remarks suggest that they'd want some verbal promise before settling."