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J.R. Smith

Knicks Notes: Smith, Balkman, Bibby, Lin, Fields

February 17th, 2012 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

It's been a busy day already for the Knicks, who appear poised to officially announce that they've signed J.R. Smith and waived Renaldo Balkman. As New York looks for its eighth straight win tonight, let's round up a few links that address the impact of the team's latest moves. And don't worry, there's a Jeremy Lin update too….

  • Sam Amick of SI.com reports (via Twitter) that Smith will receive $2.3MM for this season and a $2.4MM player option for next year. The numbers are slightly different than what Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier.
  • The addition of Smith doesn't mean the Knicks are done looking for upgrades, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
  • Coach Mike D'Antoni indicated he'll work Smith into the rotation slowly and that Landry Fields will still continue to start at the two guard for now, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
  • With Baron Davis' return date still up in the air, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets that the team decided to waive Balkman because they need Mike Bibby to back up Lin.
  • In a piece for ESPN.com, CBA guru Larry Coon explains in detail how the Knicks can re-sign both Lin and Fields this summer.
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Knicks To Sign J.R. Smith

February 17th, 2012 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

12:31pm: An official announcement is being delayed due to the FIBA paperwork required to clear Smith, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post.

11:33am: The Knicks' offer to Smith includes a $2.5MM player option for next season, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. We heard yesterday that such an option could be a factor in Smith's decision. I don't expect him to exercise it, but it provides some security in case he underperforms or gets injured this season.

While the two sides appear to have reached an agreement, the contract has yet to be signed, adds Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

9:11am: Jeremy Lin and the Knicks will head into tonight's contest against the Hornets with the knowledge that more reinforcements are on the way. The Knicks have agreed to sign J.R. Smith, as Smith himself confirmed on his always-informative Twitter account, tweeting "New York Knicks It Is!" The team is expected to make the deal official later today.

Smith, 26, signed a $3MM contract with China's Zhejiang Golden Bulls during the NBA lockout. The deal didn't include an opt-out clause, and only allowed Smith to return to the NBA when the season ended for his CBA club. Although Smith led the league in scoring, averaging 34.4 PPG, the Golden Bulls finished the season with a 15-17 record and didn't qualify for the postseason. The team played its last regular season game on Wednesday, with Smith returning to America shortly thereafter.

In seven NBA seasons with the Hornets and Nuggets, Smith has averaged 12.5 points and 1.8 threes in 23.9 minutes per game. Smith will bring his dangerous outside shooting (career .371 3PT%) to a Knicks squad that should also have Carmelo Anthony returning soon to join Lin, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler.

The Clippers were also recruiting Smith aggressively, but the Knicks had the advantage of having more money available to offer. Smith is expected to receive a pro-rated portion of New York's mini mid-level exception, while Los Angeles could only offer him the pro-rated veteran's minimum, having used their mini MLE to sign Kenyon Martin. As Larry Coon explained yesterday, the difference between the two offers could amount to about $1.7MM.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News first reported the Knicks were closing in on a deal with Smith, while Newsday's Al Iannazzone confirmed the agreement following Smith's tweet. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that the team is expected to waive Renaldo Balkman to clear a spot on the roster, though no move has been announced yet.

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Clippers Notes: J.R. Smith, Simmons, Free Agents

February 17th, 2012 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The J.R. Smith sweepstakes went down to the wire between the Knicks and Clippers, but New York ultimately won out, agreeing to a deal with Smith that could become official later today. Here's the latest on the Clips, as they move on to Plan B….

  • Before Smith chose the Knicks, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro told Smith in a text message that signing with Los Angeles would mean a spot in the starting lineup, according to John Canzano of the Oregonian.
  • The Clippers will hold a free agent workout this afternoon, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
  • Former Clipper Bobby Simmons will be among the players at today's workout, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Spears reported yesterday that Jermaine Taylor would also be working out for L.A.
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Knicks Closing In On Deal With J.R. Smith

February 17th, 2012 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 7:50am: The Knicks are expected to add Smith in time for him to make his debut on Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman says Renaldo Balkman is the most likely candidate to be waived to clear a roster spot.

THURSDAY, 5:50pm: Alex Kennedy from HoopsWorld (via Twitter) just spoke with Smith, who confirmed he is nearing a deal with the Knicks.

5:35pm: ESPN.com's resident Collective Bargaining Agreement expert Larry Coon tweets that the pro-rated veteran's minimum that the Clippers can offer is worth $656,370 today versus $2,358,871 for the mini mid-level exception.  According to Coon, this is because the mini mid-level exception didn't start pro-rating until February 10, whereas the veteran's minimum began pro-ration on December 26.  In other words, the difference is bigger than we thought. 

4:34pm: The Clippers "still think they have a shot" to sign Smith, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. Smith is expected to make a decision one way or the other within a day or so.

11:52am: The Knicks are closing in on an agreement with J.R. Smith, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola reports that Smith's agent, Leon Rose, met with MSG chairman James Dolan Wednesday night to attempt to finalize a deal.  Mike Bibby, Renaldo Balkman or Toney Douglas are the likely candidates to be released if Smith joins the Knicks. 

As we heard earlier today, the Knicks appear to be vying with the Clippers for Smith, who returned to America from China in the last 24 hours. One advantage the Knicks have over L.A. is the availability of their pro-rated $2.5MM mini mid-level exception. The Clippers could only offer Smith the pro-rated veteran's minimum for the rest of this season. The Knicks could also add a player option for next year to their offer; while Smith would likely decline it and become an unrestricted free agent, it would provide a level of security.

Smith requires a letter of clearance from FIBA before he can officially finalize a contract with an NBA team.

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Clippers, Knicks Frontrunners for J.R. Smith

February 16th, 2012 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

While J.R. Smith has been linked to practically half the teams in the NBA at this point, the Clippers and Knicks are the frontrunners for his services, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Magic GM Otis Smith tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that his team isn't considering Smith.

Smith recently listed the Clippers, Knicks, Magic on his Twitter profile along with the Lakers, Bulls, and Pacers, leading to speculation that he could be choosing between those six teams. Currently, however, only the Clips, Knicks, and Lakers remain mentioned on his page.

The Clippers have been actively recruiting Smith, with Chris Paul confident about the team's chances and Vinny Del Negro saying a phone call with Smith yesterday went "very, very well." The Knicks, however, could offer Smith more money this season, along with a player option for next year. Both L.A. teams could only guarantee Smith the pro-rated veteran's minimum for the remainder of the season. According to Shelburne, the security of having a 2012/13 option with the Knicks could factor into Smith's decision.

Having just returned from his season in China, Smith still requires a FIBA letter of clearance before he's free to sign with an NBA team.

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J.R. Smith Rumors: Wednesday

February 15th, 2012 at 10:13pm CST by Luke Adams

9:56 p.m.: Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports (via Twitter) that Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro has reached out to Smith. 

1:00 p.m.: J.R. Smith's Chinese team played its final game today, which means Smith's should be returning to America any time now. While he still needs a letter of clearance from FIBA before he can become an unrestricted free agent and sign with an NBA team, Smith figures to make his NBA debut shortly after the All-Star break at the latest. Yesterday, Chris Paul expressed confidence in the Clippers' chances of signing Smith, while Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed he and Smith had talked. Here's the latest on the CBA's scoring champ:

  • The Bulls aren't in the mix for Smith, according to Larry Coon of HoopsWorld and ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • It's anyone's guess how much we should trust Smith's Twitter feed, but for what it's worth, he tweeted yesterday that he hasn't been in contact with the Timberwolves at all.
  • Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel doesn't expect the Magic to sign Smith (Twitter link).
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Pacific Notes: Smith, Brown, Arenas, Howard

February 14th, 2012 at 7:48pm CST by Luke Adams

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:

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Paul: Clips’ Chances Of Signing Smith “Very High”

February 14th, 2012 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers may not be able to offer J.R. Smith as much money as most NBA clubs can, but Chris Paul likes his team's chances anyway. Paul told ESPN.com's Marc Stein he thinks the Clips' chances of landing Smith are "very high."

Smith, 26, is set to return from China this week, with Paul one of the NBA players said to be recruiting him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Joining the Clippers would reunite Smith with three former teammates, in Paul, Kenyon Martin, and the injured Chauncey Billups. However, the Clips aren't the only club interested.

Stein reported on Friday that the Knicks were still thought to be the frontrunner for Smith, though perhaps that's changed over the last few days. While Stein adds the Timberwolves and Pacers to the list of interested clubs, Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says Indiana's early interest has died down (Twitter link).

Yesterday, Hoops Rumors readers narrowly picked the Clippers (29%) as the favorite to sign Smith over the Knicks (26%).

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Poll: Which Team Will Sign J.R. Smith?

February 13th, 2012 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

J.R. Smith's time in China is coming to an end. With his team out of playoff contention, Smith's Chinese contract is set to expire this week. The CBA's leading scorer will return to America after the Golden Bulls' final game, and will become an unrestricted free agent after receiving his FIBA letter of clearance.

Smith reportedly has a list of five teams he's considering, though it's not clear if that interest is necessarily mutual, or if the 26-year-old would consider offers from other clubs. I covered a few possible destinations for Smith last week, running through his alleged wishlist as well as a couple other teams I thought would be good fits. Since then, we've heard that the Knicks are thought to be the frontrunners, while Chris Paul is doing some recruiting work on behalf of the Clippers.

With Smith due back in the NBA in the very near future, where do you think he'll end up signing?

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Odds & Ends: Hornets, Clippers, Knicks, Magic

February 12th, 2012 at 7:14pm CST by Jesse Blanchard
The New Orleans Hornets are dropping like flies, reports John Reid of the Times Picayune. Chris Kaman is the latest casualty with a mysterious ankle injury. These injuries could hurt trade value for a Hornets team that needs as many assets as possible. Some other news around the NBA: 
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