Iman Shumpert is getting a little tired of the rumors. For a month now, the New York Knicks have toyed with trading the guard in favor of big names like Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller or ever Rajon Rondo. As the Knicks continue their roller coaster season, the rumors are only getting worse and Shumpert is admitting they have become a distraction.
The 23-year-old is an easy trade target. He has a lot of potential and several teams need backcourt help. As the Knicks continue "not discussing" trade situations, Shumpert admits the talks are starting to wear him down.
"It gets annoying," Shumpert said via, The Michael Kay Show on ESPN NY 98.7 FM. "I think at first it didn't bother me as much but after a while a combination of that and not seeing my shot fall, you start to think a little bit too much when you're on the floor. You can't do that. You have to keep playing. It's all a part of the game."
James Dolan has said before that the Knicks will not be engaging in negotiations before the trade deadline, but they would certainly pick up the phone if a team calls. Several teams have called, but the Knicks have yet to pull the trigger on anything. The team has been in discussions to land Denver point guard Miller who is on the trade blocks. They also attempted to negotiate a deal for Lowry, but the Raptors were not happy with the trade package.
Meanwhile, Shumpert continues to put together a strong season. He scored a season-high 27 points against the Spurs and then put up 26 points against Houston. Head coach Mike Woodson is happy with the way Shumpert is playing despite the guard saying he is distracted with the trade reports.
"We take things for granted with him. We think he's a much older player, which he's not. He's only been doing this thing three years and he's missed a lot of games in between those three years. I still think he's a young player that's trying to find his stride, but as of late he's been pretty damn good," Woodson said, via ESPNNewYork.com.
Shumpert will not be happy because the Los Angeles Lakers are the latest team to express interest in the guard. ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that due to recent injuries to the Lakers' lineup, Shumpert has become a man of interest. The NBA Insider reports that Los Angeles is doing their "due diligence" on the guard and seeing what it would take to land him in a trade. With injuries to Steve Blake, Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar, Shumpert would be a big help.
Until the February deadline passes, Shumpert will continue to hear his name get tossed around with the rumors. The Knicks are winning, but nothing is guaranteed. If they can make a move to get the team back into playoff contention, they will.
