The New York Knicks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA and while they are in the middle of a tough season, the eastern conference and their division is very weak, which is why the team is looking into possible trades for JR Smith to add depth and talent and the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, LA Clippers, Toronto Raptors or Sacramento Kings could be options.
According to ESPN.com, the Knicks are looking into possible deals for Smith and even though they know his contract is hard to move and teams may not want him, the team is exploring options to make a trade. Smith has been mostly a mess this season for the Knicks, as his antics have been over shadowing anything he has done to help the team, including his untying of opposing players shoes as well as his terrible shot selection and basketball IQ that has cost the Knicks games and that is why reports are coming out that the team wants to trade him.
The team appears to be done with his antics on the court and off the court and he has not been a positive influence or player for the team this season. The report says that Smith can't be traded until January 15 because the Knicks are over the cap and another issue could be the surgery he had in the offseason. Smith has been terrible for the Knicks off the court-wise with his issues and now he has a three year $18 million contract with two years on it that could be hard to move and with the way the Knicks are playing, getting off to a fresh start might be the best for the Knicks and for Smith.
Smith was fined $50,000 for his antics on the court of untying shoelaces and recurring unsportsmanlike conduct and the Knicks don't like that and they also don't like the fact that he is costing the team in the standings, as he basically lost a game for the team last week by not realizing the score or the time on the clock. The 28 year old is shooting just over 30 percent from the field and has been doing nothing of real value for the team and that is one reason why he might be hard to trade. This season he is averaging just 11 points in 29 games and he appears to now be more interested in getting attention rather than playing hard basketball or defense.
The team has money issues and is just 12-22 on the season and the Knicks now have to start turning things around and that is another reason why the team will trade him or at least try to. Smith was re-signed in the offseason after being sixth man of the year, but he has not lived up to that billing and has been nothing but a headache for Mike Woodson.
