Glen Rice never found his touch in New York, knocking down a career-low 12 ppg.

No, very few Knicks fans sounded broken-hearted about the departure of Glen Rice, who was sent to Houston as part of a three-team trade that brought Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley to New York.

What the Knicks got in return? Now, that's where the debate starts.

Meanwhile in Houston, Rice's declining productivity and his defense are what folks are a little worried about, while everything seems fine in Big D.

After the deal was announced last week, we asked for your thoughts on the deal (the rest of which has Muggsy Bogues going from the Knicks to the Mavericks, and Dallas sending the rights to second-round draft pick Kyle Hill to the Rockets, and following is a sample of your responses.

Your feedback on the three-team trade
Bad move for the Knicks. Granted, Glen Rice was not fitting well into Van Gundy's system and was a liability on defense, but the fact remains that his shooting ability is still a hot commodity in the NBA. The Rockets coveted Rice with good reason, and the Knicks proved willing to part with him for a couple of role players at best. ... I had hoped that the Knicks would trade Houston instead, but his fat new contract is sure to scare off most teams. Plain and simple, he ain't worth that kinda loot. The Knicks are destined for years of mediocrity. Go Layden! Back to Utah!

Quinn Dalton
Austin, Texas

How exactly does this help the Knicks? We had a logjam at the small foward position and at poing guard. And what do the Knicks do? They trade a small foward for another small foward and a point guard. Now the Knicks will be the only team in NBA history to consist of only point guards and small fowards. We still have Kurt Thomas as our only legit big man left. Is there any way we can trade him for a small forward too?

Alex
New York

I think it's a great deal for Houston. They just added a guy with "star" ability, somebody that other teams have to worry about. And Rice will probably see more open shots than he has in a long time due to Francis/Mobley's penetration. Plus, he does bring a veteran's savvy and experience to balance out the youthful exuberance of the current Rockets.

Howard Agnew
Pearland, Texas

Congratulations to Scott Layden for now having the largest collection of overpriced mediocre players ever. Eisley? I would rather have the Isley Brothers run the point. ... If the Nets bring back the tie-dye jerseys, I might have to start pulling for the fellas across the river.

Tommy E.
New York City

I'm a Rockets fan ... but that might be past tense now. With Hakeem's departure, the Rockets are in serious need of a starting center (sorry, Cato), not a third option. Besides, Rice didn't like being No. 3 in L.A., what makes us think he'll settle for it in H-town? And the big question is, if we were willing to give up Shandon Anderson to pay Rice's salary, then why wouldn't we do it to keep Hakeem?

Adam Vogt
Austin, Texas

Houston's acquistion of Rice may not make up completely for the loss of Dream, but it will definitely go a long way toward helping the Rockets recover. Houston has always had great 3-point shooters, and Rice just gives them one more. He should be able to step up right away and make an impact. Perhaps more important, in terms of helping Houston get over Dream, will be the way he works with and guides the young guys.

Mike Stancel
Houston

Once again, Knicks management has shown they have no idea what they need. After wasting the team's $4.3 million excemption on yet another undersized forward in Clarence Weatherspoon, they go and trade a valuable core player in Glen Rice for yet another 6-6 small forward (Anderson) and back-up point guard (Eisley). Anyone who witnessed the team play last season knows the Knicks went into the offseason needing a bonafide big man and a top flight point gaurd to compete with the Sixers, Hornets, Bucks etc. So far we've ended up with a few bench players a no new hope.

Greg Hutchins
New York City

The Rockets got screwed. Rice has never been able to play defense. ... Cato in the middle and Rice on the perimeter or low post (small forward) are two defensive holes. How will they stop LA, Sactown, San Antonio or the Mavs? Speaking of big D, the Mavs will only be better if Hardaway comes to town (even in a back up role).

Jason Heskew
Austin, Texas

	“	This trade definitely helps to improve the Knicks, but because they continually overpay their good, but not great, players, they won't be getting past the second round anytime soon. Simply put, they're going to be stuck with Houston-Sprewell-Camby for a long time. You can change the supporting players all you want, but the core nucleus of this team just isn't enough to put them over the hump. ”
		— David Dittell Newark, Del.

Watch out, the Mavs are coming!! The best deal went to Dallas. Now the Mavs have room to operate to add key role players to their talented squad. Hardaway will be a nice fit in Dallas, where he is not in a pressure situation to score like he was in Miami.

Jine H. Han
Tamuning, Guam

Knicks come out as clear cut winners. Shandon Anderson is a starting-caliber swingman who will be coming off the bench for them. Howard Eisley is one of the best backup point guards in the league and a huge upgrade over Muggsy Bogues. Rice can't play defense and is losing his shooting touch. Dallas gets Bogues, who will ride the injured reserve list all year or be cut. Houston gets the aging Rice, who is not much of an upgrade over Walt Williams.

Andy Nowakowski
Milwaukee

I think this is a great deal for the Rockets. They have wanted Rice for years now. His 3-point shooting and ability to drive the basket make him perfect for the Rocket's system. The Rockets need an offensive-minded small forward. Rice is just that. Since Olajuwon was not contributing anymore, and he did not fit the new style of play the Rocke's have, the Rice trade more than makes up for his loss.

David Fuselier
Houston

I think any trade that will give Sprewell and Houston more shots is a good thing.

Curtis O'Brien
Norwalk, Conn.

It is quite clear that Scott Layden has no clue what he is doing as GM. For the second straight year the Knicks will have an unbalanced roster with no chance of competing for a championship. Last year, Rice created a logjam at small forward that obviously didn't work. So Layden goes out and gets another small forward (Anderson) and another point guard (Eisley) to create a glut at that position. Now he wants to trade Charlie Ward for Adonal "Tin" Foyle. The Knicks don't seem to have a plan at all, and are just mix and matching contracts that fit into their system. ... It is sooooo hard to be a Knick fan.

Matt Caporale
Charlotte

From the Rockets perspective, Rice really has no place in Houston. The Rockets are going to miss the defensive presents of Shandon Anderson. The Rockets lost Hakeem. Who's going to contain Shaq and the other great centers of the West? With the departure of Anderson from the Rockets, there is no defensive player on the Rockets who can contain Kobe or any good guard out in the West. ... What were the Rockets thinking?

Mike D.
Houston

I think this is a good trade for all three teams. Houston gets a great shooter in Rice, Dallas gets cap space, so now they can sign Tim Hardaway. New York gets a good overall player in Anderson and a point guard which they needed. This trade also satisfies Sprewell, who was asking the management to trade one of the three perimiter players the Knicks had.

Zach Montibello
Brooklyn, N.Y.

I think the Knicks should package at least one of those point guards in a trade to look for a true center. With Longley's health problems, and Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby not being true centers, getting a big man would be the best action for the team to take next if they want to win a championship.

Adam B.
Marcy, NY

In Houston, Rice will find out very quickly that -- as with the Lakers and Knicks -- he simply doesn't have the arsenal of skills necessary to serve as a team's No. 1 or even No. 2 option. He'll be mired in the Rockets' plan of attack behind Francis, Mobley, and possibly even Eddie Griffin, he'll be disgruntled for the third consecutive season, and the Rockets in general will again struggle to get anywhere near a playoff spot. Shipping out a class act in Hakeem and bringing in two headcases in Rice and Griffin will make for a very volatile Rocket lockerroom. And with Mo Taylor in the fold for good, Houston is stuck with using a soft big man to deal with the loaded frontcourts of the West. The future is cloudy for the Houston Rockets.

Eric Lai
Laguna Hills, Calif.

For the Mavericks, I like what are they doing. Hope they can find a true point guard, in the mold of Tim Hardaway, because this team only needs some guards to complete their cast.

Joseph Bryan Fabunan
Manila, Philippines

I say "hasta la vista" to Rice. He's way beyond his prime -- he's slow, has no dribble penetration, and plays like a whimp. ... I doubt the Knicks will hang onto Anderson and Eisley. Look for another trade.

Erik
Seattle