Obviously, Hughes is on the same page with his current coach. Before coming to the Knicks at the trading deadline, he was at odds with Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, whom he'll face tomorrow night in Chicago.

Let's just say that Hughes won't go out of his way to hug his old coach when the teams walk onto the United Center floor for the opening tip.

"There's no relationship," he said. "I didn't start, but that wasn't the issue. You can't start all the time. I understand that. And I voiced that. The issue was that he didn't give me a shot to be out there to contribute."

Hughes still harbors resentment about the way he was informed about the trade.

"I got a text message from the (Bulls) GM (John Paxson) - that's it," he said. "It was one line saying they appreciated my patience and wishing me good luck. I thought I'd get a courtesy call. They do it in every work place, every day. When management sends you off, they give you a courtesy call."