Six players, including Latrell Sprewell, Glenn Robinson and Keith Van Horn, were involved in a four-team NBA trade Wednesday night.

In the deal, which had been rumored since Tuesday, Minnesota received Sprewell from the New York Knicks and sent guard Terrell Brandon to Atlanta and center Marc Jackson to Philadelphia.

Robinson went from Atlanta to Philadelphia, which sent Van Horn to New York.

The 76ers also sent reserve Randy Holcomb and a first-round draft pick to Atlanta, while they reacquired their own 2006 second-round pick from the Hawks.

Minnesota vice president Kevin McHale said negotiations continued throughout the day Wednesday. He said they were complicated when a fifth team, which he would not name, tried to get involved. The process accelerated when that team dropped out Wednesday evening.

The deal ends Sprewell’s five-season tenure with the Knicks which included a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals. He averaged 16.4 points and shot only a shade over 40 percent last season – some of the lowest numbers of his 11-year career.

“Latrell gives us a very athletic swing player, something we have said since the end of last season that we needed,” McHale said. “He will give us tremendous defensive effort every time he steps on the court. He has played in a number of big games and has not been afraid to take big shots over his career.”

Sprewell, who has averaged 19.1 points and 4.2 rebounds for his career, will fill a hole at shooting guard for the Timberwolves, giving them a starting lineup of Troy Hudson or Sam Cassell at point guard, Wally Szczerbiak at small forward, Kevin Garnett at power forward and recently signed free agent Michael Olowokandi at center.

Brandon, whose career is likely over because of repeated knee injuries, was attractive because his $11 million-plus contract is due to come off the salary cap in February. Atlanta could then use that space to have extra maneuverability on the free agent market or in trades.

Robinson, a two-time All-Star, joins his third team in three years.

He averaged 20.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in his only season in Atlanta after being traded from Milwaukee last offseason.

Selected by the Bucks with the No. 1 overall pick in 1994, Robinson has averaged 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and is shooting 46 percent, including 34 percent from 3-point range, in his nine-year career.

The Sixers will have wait until their fourth game to use Robinson. He was suspended for three games without pay by the NBA earlier this month after being convicted of pushing and threatening his ex-fiancee.

Van Horn averaged 15.9 points and 7.1 rebounds in his only season in Philadelphia after being acquired in a trade that sent Dikembe Mutombo to New Jersey last summer. He disappeared often in the playoffs and averaged just 7.8 points in a second-round series against Detroit, including only two points in an elimination loss in Game 6.

AP-ES-07-23-03 2159EDT