J.R Smith happy to stay at New York Knicks unless he gets a better contract – NBA News
J.R Smith is a man who is happy where he is, but like many of us, a little extra money would be enough to sway his mind.
Smith has a $2.5 million option with the New York Knicks next season and given his impact from the bench late last season and in the first round of playoffs, the Knicks would like to keep him in their roster.
Smith is from New Jersey and has said expressed his love for New York City. And the roster that the Knicks have is good enough to make them a championship calibre team if their stars there start playing like one. However, he still
wants to test the waters and see if there is any other team that could off him a better financial remuneration for his efforts on the court.
Talking to Newsday, he recently said:
“I want to be here so I’m not really putting too much emphasis on it. I got money now. It’s all about winning, and whatever is the best situation and the best fit really. If all things are equal, I’m staying.”
Before saying that he is staying, he did put a tiny condition of everything else being equal.
Smith has 3 weeks in which to make his decision of exercising the option or not. His agent is currently busy talking to other teams to see if he can land him a better option.
Smith has accepted the bench role in the Knicks franchise, which is filled with stars such as Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. The sensational entrance of Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin to the world of basketball has added
another star to their roster now, and coach Mike Woodson said earlier this week that with the current line-up, there is no doubt in his mind that Lin would be the starting point guard for next season.
Hence, Smith’s role in the team will continue to be limited. However, he played well this season for the Knicks, giving those spurts of aggressiveness and pace from the bench.
He is a valuable asset for the Knicks or any team as a matter of fact, at the price for which he is playing.
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