Chris Paul is confident about the Clippers' chances of landing J.R. Smith when the former Nugget returns from China, but Smith's Twitter profile suggests a number of teams are in play, including one he hasn't been linked to yet. Smith's Twitter bio simple reads: "NYK? LAL? LAC? CHI? ORL? iNDI?" While there's no guarantee the 26-year-old is deciding between just those six teams, the Magic are an interesting inclusion, given the uncertainty surrounding Dwight Howard. Hoops Rumors readers voted the Clippers as the frontrunner for Smith yesterday.
Here are a few more items out of the Pacific Division:
- Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed that he spoke with free agent guard J.R. Smith today over the phone, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today.
- Shannon Brown signed a one-year deal with the Suns prior to the season because he thought he'd get a chance to play and increase his value, but it hasn't been working out that way, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- In a series of tweets, Ramona Sherburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com explains why she thinks the Lakers should sign Gilbert Arenas, assuming he's healthy.
- Looking at a few realistic trade destinations for Dwight Howard, ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) evaluated how Howard's potential teammates would complement the star center. Hollinger determined that the Clippers' Chris Paul would be the best partner for Howard, while the Lakers' Andrew Bynum would be the worst.
Considering Bynum would be sent to Orlando in any Laker/Dwight Howard trade, Hollinger’s point is moot.