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Morning Briefing Feb. 19, 2010

| February 18, 2010 11:00 PM

Basketball

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.

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. Those top free agents would each earn a little more than $16.5 million in the first season of a max deal.

In the meantime, the Knicks hope McGrady can lead them into the playoff race. He’s only played six games this season after returning from knee surgery, but is convinced he has plenty left.

To get him, they 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.

See other deals in Scoreboard.

Tiger Woods is to return to therapy after he speaks publicly today (8 a.m., PST) for the first time about his infidelity, according to a letter from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The often-unpredictable Match Play Championship more than lived up to its reputation in a topsy-turvy second round at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz. An event already minus Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson sent several of the world’s best to an early exit.

Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy — seeded second through fifth — were among the losers. Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy was beaten by Colombian Camilo Villegas 2 and 1. Top-seeded Steve Stricker lost Wednesday in the first round.

The highest remaining seed is England’s Paul Casey at No. 6. Casey, the runner-up a year ago who won the World Match Play Championship in England in 2006, swiftly dispatched Canadian Mike Weir, 5 and 4.

The field was narrowed to 16 for today’s third round on the sun-drenched desert course near Tucson.

Baseball

The Mariners have set Feb. 24 as the target date for pitcher Cliff Lee’s first bullpen session of spring training.

Lee is coming off of foot surgery, and his workouts have been limited .

“Cliff Lee will play catch, but other than that we’re going to try to keep him off his feet for a couple of days,” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said Thursday as the team warmed up for its first full workout of spring training.

Wakamatsu also said catcher Rob Johnson will be limited to batting practice and a throwing program while he comes back from offseason hip operations, and pitcher Erik Bedard will be limited to playing catch.

Infielder Erick Aybar and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a one-year, $2.05 million deal that avoids salary arbitration.

Football

Idaho State football coach John Zamberlin’s contract will be extended until 2012 and include a flat, $104,000 annual base salary.

The state Board of Education on Thursday approved the new deal, which includes $94,678 in compensation for coaching and the rest for teaching duties. The contract pays Zamberlin an additional $20,000 for radio and television appearances. Zamberlin has coached at ISU for three seasons.