BRIEFLY\Spurs acquire forward Smith from Knicks.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The San Antonio Spurs acquired forwards Charles Smith and Monty Williams from the New York Knicks on Thursday night in exchange for J.R. Reid, Brad Lohaus and a 1996 first-round draft pick.

The Spurs will ask Smith to fill the void at power forward that was created by the trade of Dennis Rodman to Chicago.

"He is a proven veteran, who can both score and defend, and brings a great deal of experience and leadership to our team," Spurs general manager Gregg Popovich said of Smith. "Our front line of David Robinson, Charles Smith and Sean Elliott is going to be among the best in the NBA."

For the Knicks, the main benefit is dealing away two players with long-term contracts. The deal is expected to free up between $7.5 and $8 million worth of salary-cap space for next season.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can sue General Motors Corp. for an ad that compared one of its cars to Lew Alcindor, the basketball star's former name. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit by Abdul-Jabbar, accusing the company of violating his trademark right to use his name for commercial purposes. That right also applies to his former name, the court said.

GM ran a television commercial during the 1993 NCAA men's basketball tournament. The announcer first asked who held the record for being voted the tournament's outstanding player, and the screen showed the name of Lew Alcindor of UCLA in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

The NCAA will not allow New Mexico freshman Kenny Thomas to get help from the university to pay the legal bills he has incurred in his battle to stay eligible this season, a school official said.

Robert Desiderio, the school's compliance officer, had asked the NCAA if the university or its representatives could help pay for the $50,000 in legal fees that Thomas and his family have accumulated fighting the NCAA.

Northwestern Louisiana coach James Smith has been reprimanded by the Southland Conference for confronting officials during and after the Lady Demons' 79-77 loss to Sam Houston State on Jan. 30.

The international governing body of basketball wants to increase the distance of the 3-point shot to bring it closer to the NBA standard. FIBA, the international basketball federation, has proposed taking the 3-point shot line from 20 feet, 6 inches to 22 feet. The changes must be approved by FIBA's central board before its world congress in 1998.

BASEBALL

Boston Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said he thinks the team can work out a long-term deal with Mo Vaughn before the Feb. 19 arbitration hearing. Vaughn, perhaps the most popular athlete in Boston, hit .300 with 39 homers and 126 RBI last year. He is seeking a three- to five-year deal at an average of about $6.5 million. The team is offering about $5.6 million per year.

Houston Astros catcher Rick Wilkins won the first salary arbitration case of this year and will make $1.55 million rather than the $1.25 million offered by the team.

The San Francisco Giants have reached minor-league contract agreements with veteran Mel Hall and Malcoln Cepeda, the son of former Giants star Orlando Cepeda.

OLYMPICS

Olympic tickets are going on sale again. Though most prime events sold out in an initial offering last year, almost 4 million tickets are left to sell. They're available by phone beginning at 6 a.m. PST Saturday.

Orders will be taken on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Afterward, ticket hours will be from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, and 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Except for this weekend, tickets will not be sold on Sundays. To order Olympic tickets, call [phone].

FOOTBALL

Don Shula, who admits he never says never, is keeping his options open about returning to the NFL in Baltimore and working for Browns owner Art Modell. Several news reports said Shula, who retired as coach of the Miami Dolphins last month, might be considering Modell's overture to coach his team. For now, Bill Belichick is the coach.

Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar proposed a $465 million plan for a domed stadium on Chicago's lakefront that would provide a new home for the Bears and facilities for mega-conventions, the Super Bowl and the NCAA basketball championship.

The annual NFL scouting combine opened at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis as more than 300 of the nation's top college players began arriving for workouts and interviews with representatives of each league team.

Ted Marchibroda, one play away from the Super Bowl three weeks ago, appeared to be one step away from the NFL unemployment line. There was no word whether the Indianapolis Colts planned to reopen contract talks with Marchibroda, who turned down a one-year offer that Bill Tobin, the team's director of football operations, said was taken off the table.

ETC.

Mike Skinner, driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo formerly used by Winston Cup star Dale Earnhardt, won the pole position for the ARCA 200 stock car race in Daytona Beach, Fla.