J.R. Smith Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Exploring J.R. Smith Trade Options

January 8th, 2014 at 6:49pm CST by Luke Adams

6:49pm: The public trade talk is intended to scare Smith into cleaning up his act, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, the club understands there isn’t a market for Smith.

5:39pm: New York began exploring potential Smith trades as long as two weeks ago, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger says the club is having a difficult time finding potential suitors, and Smith’s latest episode won’t help his perceived value. It sounds as if many league executives don’t look on Smith very highly; when asked about potential landing spots for the veteran guard, one GM replied to Berger, “I hear Shanghai has a spot.”

4:02pm: The Knicks have started to explore potential trade options involving J.R. Smith, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Ian Begley. The news comes on the heels of Smith’s latest incident, a $50K fine from the NBA for “recurring” unsportsmanlike conduct related to untying opponents’ shoes.

The Knicks have become increasingly frustrated with Smith’s on- and off-court transgressions, according to Stein and Begley, who hear from one source that the team is “fed up” with the shooting guard’s erratic behavior. Appearing on ESPN Radio in New York today, coach Mike Woodson called the latest episode in the Smith saga “unacceptable.”

“I’m not happy about this, because he was warned, he comes back and he makes the same mistake, and it’s not right,” Woodson said. “It’s just got to stop. I keep saying this every time something pops up, but it’s got to stop.”

Smith, last season’s Sixth Man of the Year, has also seen his production drop off this year. After sitting out the first five games of the season due to a drug violation, Smith has appeared in 29 contests, averaging 11.3 PPG with a .348 FG% and a 9.9 PER. The latter two marks are the worst of his 10-year career.

It’s not clear what sort of trade value, if any, Smith would have at the moment. At $5.57MM, he’s not as overpriced as some other players on the Knicks’ roster, but he’s under contract for three years, with his salary increasing to $5.98MM next season and $6.4MM on 2015/16’s player option. The 28-year-old could interest teams in need of one more scorer, but his off-court distractions and lengthy contract will limit his appeal. Grantland’s Zach Lowe tweets that New York is unlikely to acquire anything worthwhile for Smith unless they sweeten the deal, and as Lowe points out, the team doesn’t have many sweeteners to offer.

Unlike most free agents who signed last summer, Smith isn’t trade-eligible until January 15th, so if the Knicks make a move, it will have to come between next Wednesday and February 20th’s trade deadline.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, J.R. Smith, Rondo

January 2nd, 2014 at 7:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors are 9-3 following the Rudy Gay trade, with impressive wins over the Thunder and the Pacers, who are tied for the best record in the NBA. It’s easy to portray last month’s trade of Gay to the Kings as addition by subtraction for Toronto, but that’s not how DeMar DeRozan sees it, as Eric Koreen of the National Post notes.

“You really can’t say that,” DeRozan said. “People will speculate and say this, that and the third about the trade. One thing: We still had a lot of talent before the trade. Things just weren’t clicking. We didn’t play a full season and figure it all out, either. This is our team now, and we’re steadily learning and growing every day.”

Koreen is skeptical that the departure of the statistically inefficient small forward hasn’t helped the team during its recent stretch, pointing to the improved play of DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas since the trade. Regardless, the Raptors have reached the .500 mark, putting them in command of a weak Atlantic Division. Here’s more from the Atlantic:

J.R. Smith says he’s gotten over his frustration with the Knicks for waiving his brother, and that he’s “ready to go to war” with Jeremy Tyler, who replaced Chris Smith on the roster, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
It was Rajon Rondo who first proposed the idea of sending him down to the D-League, Celtics GM Danny Ainge said today on 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along. It’s unclear whether the point guard will play for Boston’s D-League affiliate this season, but Ainge said he supports the notion of teams sending star players on rehab assignments.
Celtics assistant coach Ron Adams shared his bitterness about Bulls GM Gar Forman‘s decision to let him go this past offseason with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s still a bit mystifying to me,” Adams said. “And I don’t understand it. And if the intent was to be hurtful to me and my family, it succeeded.” The Celtics were one of a half-dozen teams with interest in Adams when Forman elected not to renew his contract, the sort of decision that usually rests with a team’s head coach.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Smith, Carmelo, Raptors

December 30th, 2013 at 9:20pm CST by Zachary Links

If you’re a Celtics fan in Maine and haven’t checked out a Red Claws game yet, January might be a good time to get on that. Earlier today, C’s coach Brad Stevens told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that Rajon Rondo could spend time with Boston’s D-League affiliate before he gets back on the NBA hardwood. Stevens, who is known as a forward-thinking coach, envisions the D-League being used more often for players returning from injury in years to come. More out of the Atlantic..

The Knicks took some heat for their signing of Chris Smith over the summer and their release of him today has raised the ire of someone rather important to the organization. “You know the sad thing about betrayal? It never comes from an enemy,” read the caption of an Instagram pic that older brother J.R. Smith tweeted out. Smith won’t lose any money over being cut loose as his deal was fully guaranteed for the rookie minimum.
Pending free agent Carmelo Anthony is less-than-thrilled with how things are working out with the Knicks this season, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “This is not how I envisioned it, this is not how we envisioned it coming into this season,” said Anthony. “But it is what it is at this point. We can’t be crying about it. We’ve got to find a solution to it, got to take it one game at a time and figure it out.”
Terrence Ross has shined for the Raptors in the wake of the Rudy Gay deal, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Lakers Interested In Shumpert, Chandler

December 15th, 2013 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Lakers recently called the Knicks to express their interest in Iman Shumpert, sources close to the situation tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. No trade is imminent, however, and sources say the Lakers’ call was more about doing their due diligence.

The Lakers are unlikely to make a deal before the end of their current four-game trip, but they could be interested in bolstering their backcourt given the recent rash of injuries. Steve Blake has now joined point guards Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar on the injured list thanks to an elbow injury that will sideline him at least six weeks. Shumpert, of course, is a two-guard, but Kobe Bryant has been uncharacteristically pass-happy since making his return.

Shump isn’t their only possible target Sources tell Broussard the Lakers also are interested in center Tyson Chandler but have yet to inquire on him. Los Angeles is deciding whether to propose a Pau Gasol-for-Chandler trade and even though the Knicks aren’t looking to move him, they’ve gotten several calls. The Knicks would rather keep Chandler, but they’d consider moving him if it meant also dealing struggling guard J.R. Smith.

Eastern Links: Rose, Sanders, Anderson

December 5th, 2013 at 8:58pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Derrick Rose was asked to comment on the idea that the Bulls should look to move on without him after his latest injury, and he had this to say: “What do you mean?…You can be a fool if you want to…I know I’m going to be alright…I know I am (going to be the same player). A better player…If anything, this should even me out. When I think about it, the injury, I just turned and this happened, kind of like a freak accident. I put all I had into coming back and if this was to happen 10 more times I’d be able to deal with it” (Sam Smith of Bulls.com).

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Earlier today, we made note that Rose wouldn’t rule out a return to the court if he managed to get healthy in time for the postseason. On the other hand, head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t seem willing to entertain the thought of looking that far ahead: “To me, he’s out for the season…If something changes along the way…We want him to be completely healthy before he moves forward…We can’t worry about whether he may come back. Right now, it’s been determined that he’s out for the season, so that’s the way we’re going to approach it” (Sean Highkin of USA Today).
In responding to one of his Twitter followers, Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld said that the notion of dealing Larry Sanders for a lottery pick next year would not even be a consideration (Twitter link).
Keith Pompey of Philly.com talks about how James Anderson has excelled in his reserve role as of late after beginning the season as a starter for the 76ers.
We’ve relayed quite a bit from the Knicks and Nets this evening, and five ESPN writers decided to chime in on why both teams have been playing poorly, who has the hotter seat between Mike Woodson and Jason Kidd, which team will be worse in April, and which has a rougher future ahead.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry voiced his support for Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, telling FOX Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico: “(Brown’s) a relentless worker and a quality, high character person. He is a good teacher and holds players accountable. His will and passion for defense will always give any team a strong chance to be successful. This will have such a strong impact for a team establishing a foundation for years to come.”
There may have been a chorus of boos for Kidd tonight at the Barclays Center during the pre-game introductions, but the Nets coach gets a vote of confidence from his former teammate J.R. Smith: “Criticism is going to come…He’s a first-year coach and he’s a great basketball mind. Just unfortunately, he’s going through it early. Some coaches have success early, some struggle early. He just happens to be struggling right now…I think he’s the best fit for that job and he knows how to get out of it. He’s got a great core of vets, so he’ll be fine” (Roderick Boone of Newsday).
The Celtics sit atop the Atlantic Division, but the team isn’t letting their early success get to their head and remains focused on continuing to work hard (Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com).

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Celtics, Anderson

October 24th, 2013 at 10:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Zach Braziller of the New York Post, Knicks coach Mike Woodson plans to meet with GM Steve Mills and team brass either tonight or tomorrow to determine the five cuts he has to make before Monday’s deadline. In another piece, Braziller writes about how Carmelo Anthony took it upon himself to have a heart-to-heart talk with J.R. Smith about the importance of staying focused and keeping out of trouble moving forward.

You can find more of tonight’s links out of the Atlantic Division below:

Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston notes that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is “very proud” of Rajon Rondo‘s progress in rehab: “I think he’s working as hard as he can. I’ve been very proud of him of how he really wants to get out there and I think he wants to get out there, not for his own benefit, but he wants to really help the team. He sees how he’s missed and he just loves to play. He wants to get back for all the right reasons.”
Ainge also elaborated on why he wants to keep the team under the luxury tax: “Right now we’re barely under the luxury tax, so we really have no choice…If there are deals made later in the year, that would open up roster spots and open up to keep us under the tax. But we will stay under the tax this year. We have to. As we’re rebuilding, not just from a standpoint of the financial budget, but as a competitive advantage.”
Yesterday, we heard that James Anderson was one player who had “all but wrapped up” a spot on the 76ers’ roster. Today, Tom Moore of The Intelligencer discusses how Anderson secured a spot in Philadelphia after establishing himself as a starter and the team’s top perimeter threat.
Former NBA executive and current NBA analyst Steve Kerr explains why he thinks the Knicks are the fifth-best team in the East (Justin Terranova of the New York Post).
Clippers coach Doc Rivers took time to defend current Nets Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from the criticism hurled at them by LeBron James last week, who insinuated that they had abandoned Boston: “Paul and Kevin were traded…They were traded. Paul was traded whether he wanted to be or not. Kevin was the only one who had to agree to be traded even though he had already been traded. He had to agree to the trade. That’s completely different…You could make more of a case for me leaving than Paul and Kevin” (Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News [hat tip to ESPN Radio in Miami]).

Atlantic Links: Nets, Celtics, Knicks

October 3rd, 2013 at 8:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There have been some instances in which talented tandems that played together early on eventually blossomed into stars on different teams. A few pairs that come to mind include Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter in Toronto, Jerry Stackhouse and Allen Iverson in Philadelphia, and Jermaine O'Neal and Rasheed Wallace in Portland. However, not many of them get another chance to reunite and try to capture some of what could have been. Brooklyn's Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce shared their thoughts about the opportunity to finally achieve success together after looking back at a 2001/02 mid-season trade that saw Johnson – then a Celtics rookie – get traded from Boston and subsequently develop into a star in Phoenix and Atlanta (Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). With that aside, here are a few links to pass along out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

With Rajon Rondo still out in Boston, Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com looks at the team's other options at point guard – Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, and rookie Phil Pressey. In another piece, Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston describes how this team nearly full of new faces has quietly looked to foster their camaraderie during camp.
ESPN New York's Ian Begley reports that Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston was in attendance to witness tryouts for the team's D-League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks. Among those who made strong impressions were swingman Dami Sapara, center Kyle Hunt, forward Akeem Ellis, as well as big men Brian Addison and Desmond Blue.
Begley also mentions that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert sat out of today's practice with what was called a "minor" right shoulder injury, although Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that this could possibly open the door for J.R. Smith to earn the starting shooting guard spot.
As Eric Koreen of the National Post notes, the competition for reserve minutes at the wing positions on the Raptors is wide open. Later in the article, Koreen also takes a brief look at rookie Dwight Buycks. In another team-related piece, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun takes notice of the more competitive vibe felt at this year's camp compared to last year.
Jason Kidd and a few other Nets offered their comments on what Andrei Kirilenko brings to the table with Roderick Boone of Newsday. In a separate article, Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com gathers some thoughts from coach Kidd and Paul Pierce after today's training camp session.

Knicks Links: Carmelo, Mills, Woodson, Smith

October 1st, 2013 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

There was no shortage of Knicks-related headlines yesterday, as the team officially announced multiple camp invitees and exercised Mike Woodson's 2014/15 option. We also rounded up a few notable quotes from new GM Steve Mills, and heard that Kobe Bryant may play a role in Carmelo Anthony's free agency. This morning, we have a few more tidbits left over from Media Day in New York, so let's check out those links….

Anthony's teammates may believe he's not going anywhere next summer, and Carmelo himself hasn't suggested he's looking to bolt in free agency, but the Knicks can't take any chances, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com, suggesting that the team needs to position itself to add more complementary pieces around its star.
With the Knicks selling their front office shake-up as a change in direction, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com came away from yesterday's presser wondering if (and how) Mills is more capable of keeping Anthony happy than Glen Grunwald would have been.
Mills suggested that his use of analytics was part of the reason he was hired by James Dolan to replace the more old-school Grunwald. Given the restrictive nature of the new CBA for taxpaying teams, it's crucial for the team to find value wherever it can, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Sulia).
The decision to pick up Woodson's option will ensure that it's not a lame-duck season for the Knicks head coach, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee he'll remain with the team for that 2014/15 season, as Berman writes in a piece for the Post.
J.R. Smith explained to reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday, that putting off knee surgeries until after he had signed a new contract was a "family decision."

Eastern Notes: George, Pacers, Deng

September 19th, 2013 at 7:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Hoopsworld's Yannis Koutroupis explores the possible implications from a potential contract extension for Paul George and suggests that Danny Granger has now become an expendable piece. Losing Lance Stephenson - who is coming off of a career year and may have likely played himself out of Indiana's price range next summer – would be a bitter pill to swallow, opines Koutroupis. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference:

Granger believes that Indiana can contend for a title next season and calls the addition of Luis Scola "our biggest free agent pickup" (Scott Agness of NBA.com).
ESPN's Chad Ford (via Twitter) notes that Luol Deng has been working out at BYU-Hawaii over the last several weeks and says that the Bulls forward appears to be in fantastic shape.
Erildas Budraitis of RealGM catches up with CSKA Moscow's Jeremy Pargo, who last played for the 76ers and Cavaliers during the 2012/13 season. The 6'2" point guard admitted that he probably won't think of returning to the NBA for another one or two years and calls his exit from Cleveland "unfortunate."
Earlier today, Yahoo's Marc J. Spears reported that Cavs number one overall pick Anthony Bennett resumed playing five-on-five basketball this week.
Nets star Deron Williams is even more eager to get the season started after hearing head coach Jason Kidd and teammate Jason Terry say they expect him to be a part of the MVP conversation in 2013/14 (link via Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report).
Despite NBA commissioner David Stern's recent efforts to quell tension between the Knicks and Nets owners, the players don't seem to be necessarily following suit. When Paul Pierce was asked today about J.R. Smith calling him a bitter person recently, the Brooklyn forward tersely responded with "Who? Who are we talking about right now? Exactly" (Tim Bontempts of the New York Post).

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Knicks, Sixers, Guerin

September 14th, 2013 at 8:40pm CST by Spencer Lund

The back-and-forth between the new-look Nets and the Knicks this summer has kept the tabloids afloat. After coming over to the Nets with Kevin Garnett in the mega trade with the Celtics, Paul Pierce appeared to have started the war of words by telling ESPN New York's 98.7 FM he thought it was time "the Nets start running New York."

ESPN New York's Ian Begley asked Nets point guard Deron Williams about the quote, and Williams supported his new teammate, but didn't elaborate much beyond wanting to settle the inter-city rivalry on the court.

"That's my teammate so I'm with him. Of course we want to run New York. The Knicks are our rival. I don't get into too much of the talking. We'll decide all that on the court. We have four games to play against them and then the playoffs so I'll let Paul do the talking and I'll just go out there and play."

Williams also noted that the advanced age of Nets' roster means, "Our time is now," he told Begley. "We have a short window to try to win."

Here's what else is happening around the Atlantic division on a night when most are watching the big fight…

The New York Post, by way of Ben Golliver at Sports Illustrated, confirmed allegations by Brian Tuohy in his book, Larceny Games: Sports Gambling, Game Fixing and the FBI, that Knicks players were fixing games for their drug dealer during the 1981/82 season.
According to the Post, the FBI has confirmed the authenticity of the documents cited by Tuohy in his book. The Knicks would not comment on the allegations.
According to Touhy's book, the FBI "seemed to possess very credible information that three members of the New York Knicks were shaving points as a favor to their cocaine supplier."
Newsday's Bob Herzog profiles former Knick Richie Guerin after he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last weekend.
Philadelphia Daily News' beat writer Bob Cooney originally said the Sixers would win 22 games this season, but now thinks it'll be closer to 18 after talking to a team higher-up (Twitter).