Two days after saying he couldn’t guarantee that Iman Shumpert wouldn’t be traded before the Feb. 21 NBA trade deadline, Knicks coach Mike Woodson emphatically stated that the second-year guard will remain a Knick.
“You got it. I don’t need to say any more,” he told Stephen A. Smith on ESPN New York 98.7 FM radio on Tuesday according to ESPNNewYork.com.
Shumpert has been mentioned in a possible multi-player deal to the Phoenix Suns involving Jared Dudley.
Woodson continued to say he likes Shumpert’s game and has faith in him as he comes back from ACL surgery.
“He’s not a problem at all,” Woodson said. “Iman is a big part of what we do. I like everything about this young man in terms of how he plays, how he competes. He had an awesome rookie season. Unfortunately, he had the bad injury. He’s making his way back, and it’s going to be my job to continue to show him love and instill confidence in him as a player that he can get back to the level where he was playing. He’s not there yet, but in time, he will get there.”
On Sunday before the Clippers game, Woodson said he couldn’t ensure that Shumpert wouldn’t be dealt.
“That’s kind of out of my hands,” Woodson said before the game. “If owners came to me and said we have to do a deal, you do the deal. But I sat [Shumpert] down and I told him. He knows how I feel about him.”
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