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J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith To Return This Week

February 11th, 2012 at 5:21pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Ben Golliver of CBSsports.com reports that J.R. Smith will be returning to the United States this week after a several month tenure with the Zhejiang Wanma Cyclones of the Chinese Basketball Association. This news comes a day after we learned that Zheijiang was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, which therefore allows Smith to return to the NBA. 

The 26-year-old shooting guard boasted averages of 35.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG in 37.2 minutes per game for Zhejiang while shooting 48.6% from three point range and nearly 51% from the field overall. 

Smith (via Twitter) announced that he will be arriving back this Wednesday, February 15th, the same day that marks the end of the CBA's regular season.  

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Sam Smith on Rose, Deng, Asik

February 10th, 2012 at 6:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Derrick Rose, who's been nursing a sore back, is sitting out the Bulls game against the Bobcats tonight. When he's been in the lineup, Rose has been seeing heavy playing time of late, as has Luol Deng and his creaky wrist. Longtime Bulls beat writer Sam Smith of NBA.com answered questions from readers concerned with overuse. Smith says as long as a player is healthy enough to play in the game, he's healthy enough to play a full load of minutes. That's an opinion shared by Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and, according to ESPNChicago.com, GM Gar Forman.

Here are some more highlights from Smith's piece:

  • The Bulls are unlikely to sign another shooting guard soon, despite the absense of Richard Hamilton. Relief could come closer to the trade deadline. J.R. Smith would not be a viable option.
  • The success the team's been enjoying this year runs counter to the idea that they should blow it up to acquire Dwight Howard. Smith would like for the Bulls to see how far they can go as currently constituted before making a drastic move.
  • Omer Asik's minutes are dwindling and he'll be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, but Smith believes there's no reason to consider trading him at this point and hurting the team's depth.
  • Don't expect to see Chris Kaman in a Bulls uniform anytime soon. Just as there's no need to mess with success to acquire Howard, Smith says, there's no impetus to break up the team for Kaman.
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Stein’s Latest: Kaman, J.R. Smith, Nash

February 10th, 2012 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Marc Stein's latest column at ESPN.com included an update on the Dwight Howard saga, as we discussed earlier. Stein also shared a few other items of note, so let's check those out….

  • Because rules had to be amended to adjust for the season's late start, more than 100 players are ineligible to be traded until March. This is one reason trade chatter hasn't picked up much yet. One Eastern Conference executive told Stein that teams are "eager" for March 1st to arrive.
  • Although the Hornets say they intend to hold on to Chris Kaman for now, teams still expect him to be traded "sooner rather than later." The Pacers and Rockets are the most interested clubs, with the Hornets thought to be seeking at least one good draft pick or young player.
  • The Knicks appear to be the frontrunner for J.R. Smith, who should be eligible to sign an NBA contract in a week or so.
  • Sources close to the Steve Nash situation continue to say that the Suns will hold on to their All-Star point guard past the deadline.
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Central Notes: Boykins, Udrih, Bulls, Cavs

February 10th, 2012 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

Earl Boykins has made stops in plenty of NBA cities over his career, logging minutes with nine different teams since making his debut in 1998. His most recent NBA stint came in Milwaukee, where he played in 57 games with the Bucks last season. Boykins is currently a free agent, but may find an NBA home soon. He told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype he's in discussions with a couple teams and "hopefully something gets done." Here are a few more items out of the Central Division:

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J.R. Smith’s CBA Team Out Of Playoff Race

February 10th, 2012 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

J.R. Smith's Zhejiang Golden Bulls have been mathematically eliminated from the CBA playoff race, according to Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com (via Twitter). This is big news for Smith and teams hoping to sign him, since it means he can be cleared to return to the NBA within a week or two.

The Chinese regular season ends on February 15th, with the postseason scheduled to end as late as March 30th. Players who signed contracts in China are obligated to play until the end of their teams' respective seasons, so Aaron Brooks, Wilson Chandler, and Patrick Mills, who all saw their clubs clinch playoff spots, won't return to America until at least March (Twitter link).

Smith was named a CBA All-Star, so it's not clear whether he'll be required to play in the league's All-Star Game on February 19th before returning to the States. Either way, he figures to be cleared by FIBA to sign with an NBA team well before the end of the month. I looked at a few possible fits for him earlier this week.

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Clippers Looking To Replace The Injured Billups

February 9th, 2012 at 6:21pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld.com reports the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to replaced injured guard Chauncey Billups, who is out for the season with a torn achilles tendon.

"Billups, more so than point guard Chris Paul, has that crucial championship experience that the Clippers will need as they head into what could be an unprecedented postseason run.  The Clippers will be able to replace Chauncey’s production, to an extent, throughout the regular season but having an NBA Finals MVP on the floor in the closing moments of vital playoff games?

That’s tough to overcome."

Combo guard Mo Williams and Randy Foye should be able to replace the 15 points and four assists Billups was contributing per night. And while Billups' veteran leadership will be missed on the court, Chris Paul is an old hand at leading teams through tough situations.

Billups' injury doe little to change the Clippers priorities. With the acquisition of Kenyon Martin to shore up the frontcourt, the Clippers most glaring need was athletic size on the wings where veterans Caron Butler and Ryan Gomes are the onlyl swingmen with ideal size, if not athleticism.

J.R. Smith should return from China soon, and remains an intriguing option as firepower off the bench, though he may command more than the minimum contract the Clippers can offer.

The Clippers are also armed with a $3.93MM and $2.85MM trade exception remaining from the Chris Paul trade, though their lack of a first round pick in this draft might leave options limited. With the team built around Paul and Blake Griffin, however, this depth is more luxury than necessity this first season.

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Possible Fits For J.R. Smith

February 8th, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Led by J.R. Smith, the CBA's Zhejiang Golden Bulls are currently fighting to qualify for the postseason. Smith's squad wouldn't make the playoffs if the regular season ended today, but with a week of action remaining, the Golden Bulls are still in contention.

For Smith, a playoff berth would delay his return to the NBA, potentially extending his team's season into March. Regardless of when he arrives, we can be fairly certain the CBA's leading scorer will play in the NBA this season, so let's examine a few possible fits for him.

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported last week that Smith was considering five NBA teams — the Bulls, Clippers, Knicks, Lakers, and Thunder. Let's run through those clubs:

  • Bulls: They could offer Smith their $1.9MM bi-annual exception, but there's not a clear fit here. Assuming he's healthy, Richard Hamilton is Chicago's primary two-guard, and the Bulls may not to be able to offer Smith the minutes he's seeking in a rotation that also includes Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.
  • Clippers: They could definitely use Smith, particularly following Chauncey Billups' season-ending injury, but could only offer the veteran's minimum salary.
  • Knicks: Their $2.5MM mini mid-level is available and, even taking into account Jeremy Lin's recent emergence, a backcourt acquisition would help. If Smith hopes to play for a contender, the Knicks' 10-15 record doesn't inspire much confidence, but they are only a half-game out of the playoffs in the East.
  • Lakers: They could only offer the veteran's minimum, and likely would prefer to add a point guard rather than another perimeter scorer.
  • Thunder: They could offer Smith most of their mid-level exception, as I outlined yesterday, but it seems unlikely they'd be interested with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Thabo Sefolosha, and Daequan Cook already on board.

While there are plenty of other teams that could offer Smith significant playing time, significant money, or a chance to contend for a title, there aren't many that could offer a combination of all three. If Smith is looking for the best possible fit on all three fronts, he might consider two other clubs:

  • Spurs: They're thought to have interest, and they have their full $3MM taxpayer mid-level remaining. Manu Ginobli should be back in action soon, but adding Smith to lighten the load on the Spurs' veteran backcourt in this season of back-to-backs could be huge.
  • Timberwolves: They have their $2.5MM mini MLE and room for improvement at shooting guard. While the T-Wolves may not be ready to make a deep playoff run, they're in the playoff hunt, a game back of Dallas for the eighth spot in the West.

Ultimately, Smith's decision will come down to a matter of preference. Does he want to make as much money as he can, play as many minutes as he can, or compete for a championship? I won't try to guess what he's thinking, but it seems to me the Clippers, Spurs, or Timberwolves would give him the best chance to showcase his talents and earn a larger free agent contract this summer.

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Restricted Free Agency May Limit Chandler, Brooks

February 8th, 2012 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

Fans of the Knicks, Clippers, and a handful of other teams are anxiously awaiting J.R. Smith's return to the NBA, but Smith isn't the only intriguing free-agent-to-be still under contract in China. Wilson Chandler and Aaron Brooks are also expected to head back to America when their Chinese teams finish their respective seasons.

Rumors and speculation have followed Smith more than the others in part because he'll be an unrestricted free agent when his Chinese contract expires, meaning he'll be free to sign with any NBA team. Chandler and Brooks, on the other hand, are restricted free agents under the control of the Nuggets and Suns, respectively. As such, their NBA options may be limited.

As Larry Coon writes at HoopsWorld today, players aren't allowed to sign offer sheets after March 1st of any season, including this one. While the Chinese regular season ends on February 15th, Chandler's and Brooks' clubs both appear ticketed for the postseason, meaning they could be playing in China well into March. If Chandler and Brooks return to America in March, they could only play for the Nuggets and Suns, since sign-and-trade agreements aren't allowed during the season.

If a restricted free agent like Chandler and Brooks hopes to field offers from other teams this season, one of three things must happen, as Coon outlines:

  • His Chinese club must finish its season in February, giving him a chance to sign offer sheets with teams before March 1st.
  • His Chinese club must release him before March 1st, and FIBA must grant him a letter of clearance. This was how Kenyon Martin was able to return early to the NBA, though Martin was an unrestricted free agent upon his return.
  • His NBA club must renounce his rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. It seems unlikely that the Nuggets or Suns would give up their rights to Chandler and Brooks for nothing, but it's a possibility.

The idea of an influx of quality free agents making their way back from China in the next month is exciting, but a number of obstacles must be cleared for that idea to become a reality. At least one thing is certain: We'll be paying extra-close attention to the CBA postseason this year.

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Odds & Ends: Nash, Nuggets, Weems, Smith, Kidd

February 7th, 2012 at 10:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Congratulations to Paul Pierce, who moved past Larry Bird on the Celtics' list of all-time leading scorers in tonight's win over the Bobcats.  Pierce, with 21,797 points, is now second only to John Havlicek, who retired in 1978 with 26,395 points across his 16-year career.  Here's a look at tonight's links..

  • Suns guard Steve Nash should seek a trade to a contender, opines Eric Koreen the National Post.  Nash is a free agent at the end of the season and Phoenix could potentially lose him while getting nothing in return.
  • It's possible that the Nuggets could look for some outside help as Danilo Gallinari could miss up to a month with an ankle injury.  Gallinari hopes to come back sooner, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post.
  • If his Zalgiris Kaunas squad doesn't qualify for the Euroleague Top 8, then Sonny Weems writes (for HoopsHype) that he'll likely return to the NBA.
  • Within his article regarding the Celtics' interest in Pau Gasol, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes that multiple sources say that the J.R. Smith is looking for an opportunity to showcase his talents and be a primary option on offense.  This could make teams such as the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Pacers poor fits for the 25-year-old.
  • Veteran point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are going to be in high demand on the open market this summer, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
  • The timing of Jeff Adrien's release from the Rockets may seem odd, but it was the only way that the club could sign Greg Smith before the center was scooped up by another team, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.  Adrien pulled down nine rebounds in just 17 minutes of play Monday night against Denver.
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Atlantic Notes: J.R. Smith, Lopez, Allen

February 6th, 2012 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

Awful news out of Florida to start the week, as TMZ reports Amare Stoudemire's older brother was killed in a car crash this morning. Stoudemire is en route to Florida to be with his family, and will miss tonight's game against the Jazz. Our condolences go out to Amare and his family.

Here are the morning items out of the Atlantic division:

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