Odds & Ends: Knicks, Nunnally, LeBron
The Knicks have been shopping J.R. Smith ever since he reacted negatively to the team’s decision to waive his brother, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith’s public and private responses to his brother’s dismissal put him in owner James Dolan’s doghouse, and evidence suggests it was Dolan who ordered Smith’s surprise benching Thursday, Isola writes. Carmelo Anthony nonetheless remains supportive of the troubled swingman, and that could be the key to Smith’s ability to stick around New York, Isola believes. While even Thursday’s win over the Heat apparently can’t stop the New York soap opera, there’s also plenty of scuttlebutt from elsewhere in the NBA:
- The Hawks are set to finalize their 10-day signing of James Nunnally on Saturday, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- LeBron James and Tom Thibodeau share mutual admiration, but the Bulls would have to OK repeated luxury tax payments and Derrick Rose would have to cede crunch-time shots for LeBron to wind up with Chicago, notes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Thibodeau indicated today that the Bulls plan to send Erik Murphy to the D-League soon, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- Giannis Antetokounmpo would love to play with his brother, Thanasis, but he won’t pressure the Bucks to draft him this year, writes Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links).
- Australian guard Dante Exum has been meeting with agents the past few weeks, as expected, and the projected top-five pick appears to be a “lock” to enter the draft this year, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter).
- There isn’t as much motivation for teams to tank as popular opinion suggests, and even when there is, the practice demonstrates a willingness to win as much as much as it does an intention to lose, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for SB Nation.
Berger On Lakers, Love, Spurs, Bulls, Miller
Last month, we heard that the Nets and Rockets discussed the idea of a trade that would have sent Deron Williams to Houston and Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik to Brooklyn. While it’s not clear how serious those talks were, or if they still had any legs at all, they’re probably “dead for good” after D-Will underwent multiple injections in his ankles, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger’s latest piece includes several other trade tidbits from around the NBA, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Lakers are seeking an athletic power forward that would fit Mike D’Antoni‘s system, but league sources tell Berger that it’s unrealistic for the team to expect to land an impact player for Pau Gasol, whose trade value has “plummeted.”
- Rival execs are also skeptical that the Lakers would take on any long-term salary. One Eastern Conference exec even tells Berger that “everyone knows” Kevin Love wants to sign with L.A. in 2015, so if the Lakers believe they have a shot at the star forward, it’s unlikely they’d tie up their ’15 cap space and compromise their chances.
- Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group continues to work hard to try to find deals that would get two of his clients, Asik and Donatas Motiejunas, out of Houston.
- The Spurs have been “unusually aggressive” in pursuing roster upgrades via trades this season, which signals to rival executives that the team recognizes its window may be closing.
- As anticipated, J.R. Smith has generated “zero” trade interest, says Berger.
- The Bulls are receiving interest in guards Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy, according to Berger, who reiterates that the Warriors are eyeing Hinrich and the Rockets like Dunleavy.
- The Nuggets‘ talks with the Kings about Andre Miller have not gained any further traction, writes Berger. Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities says (via Twitter) that Denver coach Brian Shaw wants the club to land a skilled big man in any Miller deal.
- Team executives around the league are encouraged by a growing perception that new commissioner Adam Silver will be more open-minded than David Stern. Among the ideas gaining traction among front offices that could be considered by Silver: A 16-team playoff bracket that includes the league’s 16 best teams, not sorted by conference.
J.R. Smith Unsure Of Future With Knicks
Although the Knicks defeated the Heat in what was arguably their most impressive win of the season, the bigger story out of New York right now seems to be head coach Mike Woodson‘s decision to completely bench J.R. Smith tonight. Smith, who thrived under Woodson’s guidance last season en route to winning the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award, reportedly kept his distance from the team throughout tonight’s game and told the media afterward that he wasn’t sure if he’s in the Knicks future anymore:
“Honestly, I don’t even know. At one point I was for sure and now…it’s rocking the boat” (Twitter links via Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
According to Marc Berman and Fred Kerber of the New York Post, Smith’s value has hit a new low, and the team would consider trading him for a young player or draft pick. With that being said, it’s hard to imagine that another team would offer up a viable young prospect or an asset in the form of a draft choice in exchange for someone with little trade value right now, especially with Smith scheduled to make $5.98MM next season along with a $6.4MM player option in 2015/16. As we noted earlier from ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Knicks have been making an effort to shop Smith around the league but have been hard pressed to find a taker.
Though a trade may seem improbable based on Smith’s contract, it certainly wouldn’t seem impossible, as the Raptors were initially willing to take on Raymond Felton (whose contract includes a near $4MM player option for 2015/16) in exchange for Kyle Lowry, contingent upon the inclusion of a future first-round pick and/or a young talent like Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. This isn’t to say that New York would hastily include any of the latter in order to rid themselves of Smith, but should trade rumors surrounding the 6’6″ guard start to percolate leading up to the trade deadline, I would expect the inclusion on whatever young talent/assets the team has left as a prerequisite for taking on J.R.’s contract.
Odds & Ends: LeBron/Melo, J.R. Smith, Deng
Both Al Iannazzone of Newsday and Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News passed along some of LeBron James‘ comments on Carmelo Anthony with regards to free agency:
“You got to do whatever makes you happy…When you’re happy, the game of basketball is going to be fun for you. Strive to be great every day and live with whatever else happens. So we’ll see.”
Asked further if he’d recommend Anthony leave some money on the table when he signs his next contract, LeBron had this to say:
“I recommend it to me…It doesn’t work for everybody. The way I live my life don’t work for everybody. All I care about is winning. I came to Miami to win. Money didn’t make me happy. Winning made me happy, and it still does. That’s what matters to me.”
We’ve got more links to pass along out of the Association tonight, and you can find them below:
- Not surprisingly, George Karl deplored J.R. Smith‘s recent behavior, telling Michael Kay on 98.7 ESPN radio in New York that his former player is going to wake up one day and realize how much he’s wasted great opportunities because of this “mockery he brings to the game.” In spite of that, Karl added that Smith still has a “skill that championship teams need” and suggested that a team like the Heat or Spurs may be able to corral the erratic shooting guard: “There’s that possibility…I think right now that’s the position if I was J.R.’s agent [I would take]. I would be looking at a culture where there would be more peer pressure…I know San Antonio has always liked (J.R.) and I know they’ve thought about bringing him in…San Antonio doesn’t make a lot of mistakes” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York).
- Although Luol Deng‘s agent Herb Rudoy didn’t expand upon how far apart the numbers were with the Bulls regarding contract extension discussions, he mentioned Andre Iguodala‘s contract with the Warriors (four years, $48MM) as one that would be commensurate with Deng’s ability, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
- When asked about a potential return to Chicago for his client in the near future, Rudoy responded: “Never discussed…I have no idea. We didn’t talk about it.”
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN explores the topic of whether or not Andrew Bynum would be a good fit with the Heat (Insiders only).
- Ian Begley and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York, Robert Silverman of Knickerblogger, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of TrueHoop, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN have a roundtable discussion on the Knicks and Nets‘ chances of making the playoffs, winning the Atlantic Division, getting to the second round of the playoffs, and which has the brighter future.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune goes in-depth about how the Deng trade presents an enormous opportunity for Bulls rookie Tony Snell (Subscribers only).
Stein On Bulls, Bynum, Bledsoe, J.R. Smith
During a five-and-a-half minute interview earlier tonight, ESPN’s Marc Stein offered his thoughts on the Deng-Bynum trade, Eric Bledsoe‘s latest injury, and the latest on J.R. Smith and the Knicks (ESPN Radio link). You can find some of the highlights from the interview below.
On what the Deng-Bynum trade means for the Bulls:
“I really like this deal better for Chicago because they’ve reset themselves entirely as far as finances…nobody wants to part with first-round picks, but to be able to get a first-round pick for a guy who was headed to free agency, that’s a pretty impressive feat…when you look at what’s left over in Chicago, lets assume Derrick Rose comes back, they still have Jimmy Butler, they have Joakim Noah, they’ve got some picks coming in, they’re going to try to get Nikola Mirotic – who’s considered one of the top players in Europe…there’s still some pieces there…if they can hang onto Tom Thibodeau, they still have a good platform for a team moving forward.”
On Andrew Bynum‘s free agency prospects:
“…the issue with Bynum is I think everyone’s concerned because it’s been so long since he’s been motivated…the reality is that he’s still a very big guy who takes up a lot of space and did show enough flash in Cleveland to let you know he can still be a productive player when he’s in the mood…He wants to go to a contender and somewhere where he can (make more) than the league minimum. I know Dallas is very interested in him. Miami and the Clippers are two teams that have been mentioned, but I think in both cases there’s probably some hesitation as well…Miami already has Greg Oden there, do they really want two reclamation project centers on that team?
Doc Rivers has been very vocal this week saying that our concern is on the perimeter because we lost Chris Paul for six weeks…they’re not looking for a big man. Is that smoke screen from (Rivers)? I think we’ll find out pretty soon.”
On how Eric Bledsoe’s injury affects the Suns plans:
“It’s a crusher…there’s been all kinds of talk that Phoenix would move (one or two of their stash of future first-round picks) in order to try to get another frontline player and make a playoff push now…those plans are going to have to be revised most likely because it looks like Bledsoe (could) miss a significant amount of time.”
“…they won’t know exactly how bad (the condition) and they won’t know until the surgery takes place, but this is the first depressing downer to happen to Phoenix after a fairy-tale two months.”
On J.R. Smith and the Knicks:
“The reality is that I don’t think they’ll be able to move him. Now I would not co-sign on the notion that this is purely a Knicks ‘scare tactic’…the Knicks weren’t the ones who told me or Ian Begley that J.R. Smith was being shopped…I don’t think this was some sort of thing the Knicks strategically leaked because they’re trying to light a fire under (him)…They’re undoubtedly frustrated with him, they (feel) like it’s time for a fresh start for all parties, but the reality is that (Smith) has two more years left on his contract after this one, his production has dropped considerably, and off the cour there’s been four or five flareups already that have resulted in fines or negative headlines…the Knicks are realistic, they know that chances are they’re not going to find a trade partner for him, but they’re trying. They are trying and that is legitimate.”
Poll: What Should Knicks Do With J.R. Smith?
It’s been an ugly few months in New York for J.R. Smith, who has had little go right since signing a three-year, $17.95MM contract to remain with the Knicks. Smith has undergone knee surgery, seen his numbers slip across the board, and has been involved in incidents on and off the court, ranging from a suspension for a drug violation to a $50K fine for repeatedly trying to untie opponents’ shoelaces.
It came as no surprise then that a report yesterday indicated the Knicks were exploring the market for trade options involving Smith. The real question though is whether or not the club will actually be able to get anything in a trade for the 28-year-old — the general consensus suggests they won’t. Executives who spoke to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com about Smith jokingly proposed Shanghai or Erie as potential destinations for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, while one exec said to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that “only an idiot” would trade for him.
Of course, it’s very possible that the Knicks know all this already. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports indicated that the club understands there’s no market for Smith and that leaking word of the supposed trade talks represents an attempt to scare him straight.
As we’ve seen demonstrated over and over again, no NBA contract is untradable, and Smith’s salary is modest enough that I think the Knicks could find a taker. The team would likely have to take on a worse contract or throw in a sweetener to get a rotation player in any deal, but it probably could be done. Still, Smith is just a few months removed from finishing the 2012/13 season with 18.1 PPG and a 17.6 PER. It may make more sense for the Knicks to hang on to him in the hopes that he can approach that form again, rather than moving him for pennies on the dollar.
What do you think? What’s the Knicks’ best course of action for dealing with Smith?
What should the Knicks do with J.R. Smith?
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Trade him before the deadline for whatever they can get 58% (627)
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Waive him, aiming for addition by subtraction 24% (261)
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Hang on to him and hope for the best 18% (199)
Total votes: 1,087
Eastern Notes: Magic, Knicks, Deng, Bulls
There haven’t been any updates on potential deals involving Andre Miller or J.R. Smith, so let’s have a look at the Eastern Conference in the meantime:
- Despite diminished frontcourt depth, the Magic won’t be signing a player to a 10-day contract in the near future, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The club waived Solomon Jones yesterday, and starting center Nikola Vucevic is suffering from a concussion, but apparently team management is confident in the club’s bench.
- It’s been a tough season for the 12-22 Knicks, but head coach Mike Woodson still believes his club could hang with the Heat if his players were healthy. Fred Kerber of the New York Post passes along this quote from Woodson: “Absolutely and I still believe that [we could hang with the Heat], if we could ever get back whole… I’m not taking anything away from the players who have been consistently in uniform for us, but it’s hard to judge our team.“
- Over at USA Today, a panel of sports writers takes a look at various issues surrounding the trade that sent Luol Deng from the Bulls to the Cavaliers. Among the issues discussed: the future of Chicago’s organization and the potential direction of Andrew Bynum‘s career after he was waived yesterday.
- Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald opines that the Derrick Rose Rule is the reason that the Bulls couldn’t retain Deng. McGraw argues that Chicago couldn’t offer Deng a big enough extension because they had so much tied up in the contract that Derrick Rose was allowed to sign as a result of his early-career success.
Knicks Exploring J.R. Smith Trade Options
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: Smith, Nets, Sixers, Walker
News broke today that the Knicks are trying to find a trade partner willing to take on the often controversial J.R. Smith. It doesn’t sound like it’ll be easy for the club to find a suitor, but Knicks Journal’s Keith Schlosser writes it would be “addition by subtraction” if the team is able to deal Smith, even if they don’t get any real assets in return. Schlosser notes that Tim Hardaway looks poised to take on a bigger role for the Knicks, and sending out Smith would give the rookie guard more minutes to showcase his impressive skills.
Here’s a look at the rest of tonight’s news from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets aren’t expected to use the disabled player exception they were granted yesterday, reports Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Kerber hears from a source that it’s “unlikely” Brooklyn ends up using the exception since for each $1MM the club would spend on adding a player, the team would end up paying $4MM in luxury taxes.
- The 76ers are not going to be relocating to New Jersey, writes Mike Sielski from the Philly Inquirer. Rumors circulated about a potential move earlier this season, and fans became nervous that the rumors may be coming to fruition when the club revealed via press release that it was set to deliver a “major announcement” tomorrow. However, sources tell Sielski that the team won’t be leaving Philadelphia anytime soon, and the announcement will simply introduce a new sponsorship deal.
- Ty Walker of the D-League’s Main Red Claws has drawn interest from a few clubs, including the 76ers. The defensive-minded center went undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2012 and received interest as a possible training camp invitee last summer. Shams Charania of RealGM has the details.
- In his latest piece for the Boston Herald, Steve Bulpett reveals that although Doc Rivers isn’t calling plays for the Celtics anymore, part of the veteran coach will always remain in Boston. “It was just hard for me. I’m not sure anyone can understand,” said Rivers on his departure from the C’s, “I fell in love with where I was at, but after the season I realized I just didn’t want to get into the whole rebuilding thing.“
Latest On Andrew Bynum
Here’s the latest on the NBA’s hottest soon-to-be free agent..
- The Knicks one of a few teams who have not at least made an inquiry into Andrew Bynum, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks may have decided that they have enough interesting personalities on their club as it is.
- Bynum’s preference would be to hook on with the Heat, with the Clippers as his second favorite, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- It doesn’t sound like the Clippers will be in on Bynum however, write Arash Markazi and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “I honestly haven’t given it a lot of thought, I can tell you that,” coach Doc Rivers said of searching for a big man. “We’ve had very few discussions about anyone big right now. We’re far more focused on the perimeter part of our team.“