J.r. Smith Rumors | Hoops Rumors

J.R. Smith Rumors: Sunday

February 5th, 2012 at 9:01am CST by Daniel Seco

Former Denver Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith looks to return to the NBA after a stint in China with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Smith, 25, has received attention from numerous NBA teams with the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks among his strongest suitors. As stated by Smith in a tweet on Friday, he would be excited to see what kind of pick-and-roll tandem he and Amare Stoudemire could form at the Garden.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, beleaguered Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni isn't hiding the fact that the Knicks desperately need another shooter and view Smith as an ideal candidate to fill such a role for the 9-15 squad. The Knicks can offer Smith the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception but will have to waive a player upon signing him.
Picking an opportune time for a career-high 25 points and seven dimes, Jeremy Lin can rest assured that he would not be a roster casualty if Smith signs with New York.
After recently signing free agent Kenyon Martin to a contract, the Clippers may turn to Smith in an effort to add depth off the bench as they attempt to make a run at a top seed in the Western Conference. The Clippers no longer have the payroll flexibility to offer Smith the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception after giving it Martin and would have to sign the former Hornet for the veteran's minimum.
For those wondering about the impact the eighth-year player out of New Jersey has made in China, Smith lit up the scoreboard with 60 points during a CBA game last week.

Clippers Links: Griffin, Billups, Martin, Smith, Butler

February 4th, 2012 at 11:56pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Everything is roses for the Los Angeles Clippers, who won tonight in impressive fashion against the Washington Wizards. Mark Heisler of the New York Times writes how this impressive team came together and why they go "beyond mere highlights to spectacular." In other Clippers news:

Don't count Blake Griffin out of the slam dunk contest just yet, reports Dan Feldman of ESPN Los Angeles.
Feldman also wrote a great piece on how the Clippers and Chauncey Billups convinced Kenyon Martin to come to Los Angeles.
Martin is expected to join the Clippers on Monday, reports USA Today's Michael Falgoust.
Caron Butler, another unheralded free agent signing by the Clippers, is starting to find his comfort zone in Los Angeles, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Martin isn't the only player returning from China that the Clippers are hoping to sign. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Clippers now have their eye on J.R. Smith.

Odds & Ends: Noel, D’Antoni, Smith, Lopez, Russell

February 4th, 2012 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks suffered another tough loss last night as they fell to the Celtics, 91-89. Here's more on New York and other items from around the league..

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak doesn't regret trading Lamar Odom to the Mavericks in December, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Kyle Singler isn't sure if he'll play for the Pistons next season, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The Duke product, who was taken in the second round by Detroit in 2011, says he's enjoying his time with Real Madrid in Spain.
Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star asked Andrea Bargnani if he'll consider leaving the Raptors at the end of his deal in 2015. The former No. 1 overall pick said that he has made it "pretty clear" that he wants to remain in Toronto.
Chauncey Billups recruited Kenyon Martin heavily to join the Clippers, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Martin and Billups are both represented by agent Andy Miller.
Massachusetts high school center Nerlens Noel now appears to be in line for the 2013 NBA Draft rather than 2014 after reclassification, writes Adam Zagoria for Sheridan Hoops. Earlier this week, Noel told Dave Telep of ESPN.com that he's now set to graduate with the class of '12 rather than '13. The center now projects as the top pick in the 2013 draft according to DraftExpress.com.
Despite uncertainty surrounding his job, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni will not be fired today despite back-to-back, last-second losses to the Bulls and Celtics, NBA sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Even though the Knicks were linked to Kenyon Martin, the guy that they've really had their eye on is J.R. Smith, writes Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops. Smith said to be considering five teams, including New York. The Clippers are also in that group but they can only make Smith a minimum offer after agreeing to sign Martin using their room exception.
Six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right foot, Nets center Brook Lopez still isn't sure when he'll be able to return, writes Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. The Nets will likely need a healthy Lopez in order to put together a package for Orlando's Dwight Howard.
Friday marks the league deadline for teams to either release players with non-guaranteed contracts or guarantee their deals for the rest of the season. Pistons 29-year-old rookie Walker Russell is making a strong case to stay with Detroit, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.

J.R. Smith Considering Five Teams

February 3rd, 2012 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

It doesn't appear he'll receive the same early clearance Kenyon Martin did, but J.R. Smith is already mulling where he'll sign when he returns from China. According to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, Smith is considering the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, and Bulls.

Those five teams have varying amounts of money left to spend on free agents. Since the Clippers agreed to sign Martin using their room exception, they could only make Smith a minimum offer. The Lakers are in the same boat. The Bulls have their $1.9MM bi-annual exception available, and the Knicks still have their $2.5MM room exception. The Thunder have the most money available, with about $4.5MM of their mid-level exception remaining. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the Spurs also have some interest in Smith, though it's not clear if he'd consider signing in San Antonio.

The 26-year-old Smith signed a one-year deal to play for China's Zhejiang Golden Bulls during the NBA lockout. He isn't expected to be allowed to sign an NBA contract until his team's season ends, which could happen as early as mid-February. Smith's stock certainly hasn't dropped at all in China — he dropped 60 points in a game earlier this week to increase his season scoring average to 33.9 points per game, according to Sportando.

Odds & Ends: J.R. Smith, Powe, Celtics, Redd

February 2nd, 2012 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Thursday links of note from around the NBA:

The Knicks have more interest in J.R. Smith than they have in Kenyon Martin, tweets Howard Beck of the New York Times. If Smith's CBA team doesn't make the playoffs, he could make his way back to America in a couple weeks.
Leon Powe has talked to the Bulls, and may be a backup plan if Chicago doesn't land Joel Przybilla, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
The Celtics have discussed sending JaJuan Johnson to the D-League, but head coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that it won't happen anytime soon.
Early-season signee Michael Redd is still trying to get comfortable on the floor with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
In an NBA.com mailbag, Keith Langlois answers readers' questions about the Pistons, including a couple related to possible Rodney Stuckey trades.