The Knicks on Friday waived rookie guard Chris Smith, cutting their roster to 19.
The 6-foot-2 Smith, a Millstone, N.J., native who played at Louisville, has been sidelined with left patella tendon surgery and had hoped to join his brother, J.R. Smith, on the team.
“I might’ve been able to have a little spark for the team at [shooting guard] with my shooting ability and my defense,” Chris Smith told SNY.tv of the injury, “but everything happens for a reason.
Expect the Knicks to cut Oscar Bellfield, Mychel Thompson, Henry Sims and John Shurna to get down to 15.
“I’m going to sit down with [Knicks GM] Glen [Grunwald],” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said of potential cuts. “We really haven’t had a chance to talk about it. We’ve got so many injuries but we gotta some bodies around so we can practice. He and I will sit down today and probably start discussing some of that.”
Woodson has spoken glowingly of rookie Chris Copeland, who figures to join Rasheed Wallace as the the last men on the roster.
