NFT: JR Smith wouldn't blame Knicks for trading him...

On the other hand, I respect the fact that he is honest about his situation last year and isn't making excuses. I think he can be a very valuable piece on a contending team with great leadership. He does stupid shit but doesn't seem like he is a bad teammate. I mean you can say he is a bad teammate by not doing what he is paid to do but I'm talking about his relationships with teammates. I do think he will be traded.

It is nice to have a grown up back in charge. Maybe all the players will be a little more accountable for themselves this season.

and honest in the past and said he's changed. This isn't the first time. What about a team like Indiana that just lost Stephenson?

has brainwashed another one. The Melo recruiting trip must've been part of it.

And that contract. I think he's here to the bitter end.

really isnt bad when you look around at some of the contracts in the NBA

just got 2 years 18 million dollars. Smith has 2 years 12 million left. I bet if they wanted right now they could trade him but wouldn't get anything back. I wouldn't trade him just to trade him.

Nick Young got 4 years 22 million.

over shadowed some 2nd half improvements. Pg and center was so horrible it was too much to overcome. I suspect jr and the rest to really take to the fluid movements of the triangle.

DYST Now @DYST_Now · Jul 15
Targets that Phil Jackson is going after from the Kings and Bucks for JR Smith are Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Ersan Ilyasova.

In comment 11770038 Anakim said:

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DYST Now @DYST_Now · Jul 15 Targets that Phil Jackson is going after from the Kings and Bucks for JR Smith are Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Ersan Ilyasova.

Would would anyone trade ilyasova for jr smith?

But I don't wanna dump him for nothing. If Phil keeps him fine, he can play and in a healthy atmosphere he will probably flourish-- at least for a little while. He's only got 2 years left. If they trade him for decent talent, that works for me too. Knicks have too many guards anyway.

puts out bullshit all the time, not reliable

$6 million for a guy that was 6th man of the year 2 years ago, and actually had a solid second half of the season. After the All-Star break he averaged 16.6pts, 4 reb, 3 assists on 44.8% shooting and 41.7% from 3. That's actually better efficiency than what he showed in the year that he won 6th man.

If he comes out and puts together a strong first 2 months of the season, he will be very easy to move.

In comment 11770097 MookGiants said:

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puts out bullshit all the time, not reliable

Bummer




Ed Davis has agreed upon a two-year, $2 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis has a player option for the 15-16 season.

Davis most recently played for the Memphis Grizzlies.


I guess Phil was more comfortable with Jason Smith

As for why someone would trade Ilyasova...it's been reported that the Bucks are shopping him heavily. He didn't have a good season last year.

the power of human psychology and communication approach is often overlooked in coaching / management for whatever reason.

My guess here is that JR and Phil had a long talk, he was forced to take a hard look in the mirror and was helped to understand how he hurt the team.

People underestimate how petty and emotionally underdeveloped people can be, especially athletes who are coddled by society from the age they show talent. I wouldn't be surprised if JR justified it to himself because the team was losing and was in some stupid pride fight with Woodson or Melo, hell maybe even Bargs got his goat. He thought by mailing it in he was somehow sticking it to them and not himself.

Bottom line this is great either way and has the zen masters footprints all over it. (Can you see positive press coming out like this with Dolan or Isiah Thomas leading the way? LOL) This makes him at least marginally more valuable in the market and/or sets him up to be refocused with a better attitude if he is granted the opportunity to stay. Admitting you have a basketball IQ problem is the first step to recovery.

provides a lot more context and insight into what we faced last year. Also, JR seemed thrilled to have Fish on the sidelines...
link - ( New Window )

Darren Wolfson        âœ” @DarrenWolfson

@NYGreenMachine I can't come up with any that make sense. Wolves like Hardaway Jr. Still hard to concoct a deal MN would do.

Darren Wolfson        âœ” @DarrenWolfson

@PristeamDetail Klay and Wiggins still not on the table. Knicks and Suns lurking. Just not sure either is an ideal match.

Minny also wants to dump Martin and no offer from another team has included Martin or the top players they asked for in Thompson, Wiggins.

that was a great interview with JR. Touched on lots of things. What stuck out the most was when he discussed how some guys just did whatever they wanted last year and their was mass confusion offensively and defensively.

I wouldn't really attribute this to Phil Jackson somehow mentoring him.

In 2012 he said he would be better, then as soon as he won 6th man, he went out to the clubs in the playoffs and sucked.

giving enough of a shit to change, or having the balls to do to make the right sacrifices is certainly another.

JR strikes me as the type of guy who does what the hell he wants no matter if he hurst others, and makes no attempt to hide it, or change for the good of others.

I believe the clinical term is sociopath.

im a bit of a JR supporter. He just has so much talent that if you can ever get the right coach or organization or whatever around him he could be one of the best 2 guards in the league. Id rather keep him this year and see what Phil and Fisher can do with him then dump him for nothing.

And his contract is not bad at all, If he was a FA right now i bet he gets close to the 2/12 or whatever he has left from us.

and self-centered. These guys have been pampered since they were little. They've been told that their sh*t don't stink since they proved that they were better than everyone else at bball. He's been the BMOC for his whole life and they think the world still revolves around them. Some guys mature and realize that this is a job, other guys don't.

Both extremely talented and both extemely immature. I'd rather have Stephenson for his physical tools, but they are similar. There was not much of a market for Stephenson at all and his contract wasn't that bad either. It makes me think that we'd have a harder time unloaded JR than some people think. I do think we can unload him, but we wouldn't get much value at all in return. I don't want to do that because we would be trading him while his value is lowest. So while we have too many 2's, unfortunately two of them would be selling low so it's a tough spot.

In comment 11770285 Italianju said:

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im a bit of a JR supporter. He just has so much talent that if you can ever get the right coach or organization or whatever around him he could be one of the best 2 guards in the league. Id rather keep him this year and see what Phil and Fisher can do with him then dump him for nothing. And his contract is not bad at all, If he was a FA right now i bet he gets close to the 2/12 or whatever he has left from us.

I find myself rooting for him too, despite so much nonsense. When he found his game in the second half of 2013, he was a big part of our 54 win season.

Of course, then he went mental in the playoffs, which combined with Chandler being banged up and our old guys being worn out cost us our shot at beating Indy

But maybe, with the right mentor in Phil and the right vibe on the team, he can flourish

And yes, that's a tune we've all heard before, of course...so I wouldn't cry if we traded him (I'd be shocked if we got anything of value for him)

head cases, so maybe he can screw JR's head on straight.

and hope he plays well this year and makes it so that we are either having a good year or he has increased his trade value. At worst he has another season like last year (really wasnt that horrible by the end) and if we decide we need the capspace then we suck it up and trade him for nothing.

even during his 6th man of the year season...he gets into over dribbling and iso way to much when he was on the court without Carmelo...

Hopefully with this system and no more Iso he will be able to just catch and shoot and move the ball rather than over dribbling...

hopefully..

He has a reasonable contract, and right now offers little in the trade market. So I guess he will be back, so why not cheer for him? Jackson being here will make all the difference in the world, and people are going to find that out quickly. Watch what happens if players do not play up to what is expected. I believe in Phil completely, I don't know how long he will take to build a winner here, and I don't know if Carmelo will be part of a winner here, it may take longer then that. But I do believe Phil will do it. If he is given full control, which he will be or he will leave, then he will accomplish what we all hope, he will bring back excitement to the garden, just like Riley did.

a bit. He's not a jedi, and he's not going to take junk and alchemize it into gold. He can't just whisper a few wise words and change a player's mindset because he's Phil Jackson.

In comment 11771207 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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Quote: The future of one of the most talented free agents left on the market remains cloudy, as Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns remain far apart in contract talks, according to sources close to the situation.

BUT WHY?!?!?! THE POINT GUARD POSITION ISN'T IMPORTANT I THE TRIANGLE!!! ;-)

Which Bledsoe surely is not. He's just a pit bull in a basketball players body.

In comment 11771404 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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Which Bledsoe surely is not. He's just a pit bull in a basketball players body.

It's a ridiculous statement regardless. A good PG of any kind can play in the Triangle. If Phil inherited a team with Rondo do you think he'd move him because he doesn't fit the Triangle? You make it work with your best players.

but I think the point is...you don't need a top notch PG in the triangle to have success, but it doesn't mean you don't want one, you want as many good players that fit the system as possible.

But it's just not necessary. You simply just do not need a guy who runs the show and creates for everyone. The triangle falls under that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" category. Everyone needs to be unselfish and be able to pass, it doesn't have to be that one show running facilitator.

On the other hand, Phil Jackson did just acquire Jose Calderon, who is certainly a facilitator.

I never said it was useless. I just don't think it's nearly as important to this system as it is to others.

averaged, in the last 11 games, 21.6 points 4.5 rebounds 2.7 assists efg+55%. He also shot 45% from three point range during this time.

there have been plenty of short stretches when JR posts stats like that. The issue is that he'll follow that with a 15 game stretch where he looks like he doesn't belong on the court

He could be so freaking good if he just wasn't a blazing moron(in more ways than 1).

He is so good at driving and finishing or getting to the line, but then he will just settle for 45 foot jumpers. Guys like him drive me nuts because he has all the talent in the world and no desire to reach his potential.

about the fact JR's contract has an opt out after next season. Something tells me any fear of his contract being a deterrent to a max next year for a free agent is unwarranted. If JR has a good season, he will opt out. Why play on a 1 year deal with a team whose best two young players play the same position as you when you can get more guaranteed money? If he doesn't play well, he faces the Knick's trading him to any team they please to make cap space and JR would have to deal with it. Why deal with being sent where the Knick's want to send him when he could chose his own situation by opting out and taking probably a mil or so less (6 mil really isn't much for a guy who does have talent, albeit is a nut). Some cap strapped contender would give him their mid level exception, which next year will be about 5.7 mil. JR doesn't strike me as a guy who would stick around an extra year and be miserable to collect a couple hundred thousand dollars more.

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Bledsoe is seeking a 5-year $80 million max deal from the Suns, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN. Broussard also reports that the Suns offered Bledsoe a 4-year, $48 million deal. The two sides are very far apart in negotiations and it appears a strong offer sheet for the restricted free agent may be enough to steal him away from Phoenix. The team recently signed Isaiah Thomas to a long-term deal, so a Bledsoe departure would not come as a shock.

Really upsetting that we are in no position to get him. Why couldn't this have waited until we have titload of money? It's probably not ideal to pair Melo up with another guy that loves having the ball in his hands, but I give zero fucks. He gets to the rim at will, monster man vs man defender, and has improved his shooting every season. If he doesn't get injured he will only improve.

On the other side of the coin, I have no idea if it's the Suns medical staff telling them to not give him this kind of contract. And nobody wants to fuck with the Suns medical staff.

In comment 11771583 Steve in Greenwich said:

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about the fact JR's contract has an opt out after next season. Something tells me any fear of his contract being a deterrent to a max next year for a free agent is unwarranted. If JR has a good season, he will opt out. Why play on a 1 year deal with a team whose best two young players play the same position as you when you can get more guaranteed money? If he doesn't play well, he faces the Knick's trading him to any team they please to make cap space and JR would have to deal with it. Why deal with being sent where the Knick's want to send him when he could chose his own situation by opting out and taking probably a mil or so less (6 mil really isn't much for a guy who does have talent, albeit is a nut). Some cap strapped contender would give him their mid level exception, which next year will be about 5.7 mil. JR doesn't strike me as a guy who would stick around an extra year and be miserable to collect a couple hundred thousand dollars more.

If all of the reports are true and the cap will jump dramatically in 2 years, wouldn't that be more incentive for JR to opt in and become a FA when the cap jumps?

Look at the contracts being handed out this offseason compared to the one he has.

what the unpredictiple will do. JR goes to the beat of his own drum.

Working to clear the logjam in the backcourt, the Knicks are discussing their potential trade options with guards J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Shane Larkin, a league source said Sunday. “They’re working on trying to make a move in the backcourt,” the NBA source familiar with the Knicks’ thinking said. ESPN.com
Rumors tagsNew York Knicks, Trade, JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Shane Larkin Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubscribe to HoopsHype rumors
Tim Hardaway Jr. has been deemed virtually untouchable, per a source. ESPN.com

First, JR is such a wacko that it is easy to ignore the fact that he played the 2012 playoffs needing two pretty major surgeries. The wacko part, however, is why he couldn't rehab like an adult last year.

Second, I wouldn't trade him until seeing how he responds to real coaching and leadership. Plus, his opt-out contract could be a great thing. If he has a good year, he could opt out, the Knicks could sign two FA, and then re-sign him.

On a separate topic, how do they trade Shane Larkin? Who would be Calderon's backup, how would they handle an injury to Calderon or Prigs, and what pg left on the team could guard quick pg's around the league?

In comment 11773698 manh george said:

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Plus, his opt-out contract could be a great thing. If he has a good year, he could opt out, the Knicks could sign two FA, and then re-sign him.

I'm pretty sure this can't happen, you have to relinquish his bird rights to fit everyone under the cap. Unless they could sign two players and still be under by 8 mil or so, then they could re-sign him. That's why Wade, Bosh and Lebron had to fit under the cap that first year in Miami rather than let Lebron and Bosh take up the full cap, then Wade resign after his opt out. I do agree, I'd like to see what JR could do in this situation, but most importantly I want the guys with a future on the team to get their minutes. Even if we aren't getting the maximum trade value on Smith, by dealing him this minute that frees up more minutes for Hardaway right away.

In one of the Summer League interviews, IMO.

I still don't like the idea though.

JR Smith can easily work up his value to where he could become a legitimate asset that nets us a nice fish as opposed to now where we get someone else with problems, a la Isylanova.

Shane Larkin has no real value right now, and rightfully so. If we could get actual value out of him that'd be nice, but we won't. So might as well keep him.

Iman Shumpert is probably our best bet to trade to a contender. Wing defenders are a must in this league, and I get the impression that the league still believes he defends at an extremely high level and was just a product of the mess last season. I still think he could be a great defender, but if we could somehow sell high on him to a team that thinks they aren't far away, then so be it.

who is a guard..

knows that and isn't just going to move them for the sake of moving them. Maybe JR, just because of the cap space and locker room issues, but I doubt even him. I think if we see a trade it's going to be for value.