Marbury suited up but all he did was sit and watch as seven Knicks teammates played in a 104-87 loss to the Bucks at the Bradley Center.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said he went to Marbury earlier in the day and told the veteran guard he would have a chance to play 30 to 35 minutes. The players acquired by the Knicks in the trades Friday will not join them until next week.

"When the trade went down this afternoon, I sat down with him and I said, 'Look, Steph. One of the principals is gone, Jamal Crawford. There's 30 to 35 minutes out there, and they're yours if you want them. Are you ready to go?' " D'Antoni said.

"He said the direction of the team went in a different direction, he wasn't comfortable with the situation and he did not want to play. I thought it was an opportunity for him to play, and I was kind of hoping.

"But at the same time, there's a consideration for a lot of guys in that locker room that are giving their hearts out. Those are the guys I'm going to go on with, and those are the guys I'm going to love, and those are the guys that are going to compete every night."

Marbury, who had been on the inactive list for all but one game before Friday, was asked why he chose not to play against the Bucks.

"The only thing I'm at liberty to say is that I was told they're moving forward," Marbury said. "I'm not the person who chooses who plays and who doesn't.

"I was told they're moving in another direction and I wasn't in the plans. I was told that today, too."

The Knicks were able to reach the league minimum of eight players, including Marbury, but only seven played against Milwaukee.

The difficult situation was created after team President Donnie Walsh made the trades with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.

New York acquired forward Al Harrington from the Warriors in exchange for guard Jamal Crawford, and later dealt power forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins to the Clippers for forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley.

Guard Chris Duhon led the Knicks with 20 points and played 43 minutes, and he said he thought the team wore down in the second half as the Bucks pulled away from a three-point halftime lead.

"Steph's his own man," Duhon said. "If he doesn't want to play, he doesn't want to play. It doesn't bother me at all. I was satisfied going to war with the seven guys we had."

The Knicks' moves Friday were made to help clear the way for a strong bid for Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James or Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade when those players become free agents in the summer of 2010.

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