Knicks guard J.R. Smith will become a free agent because he has decided not to exercise the opt-in clause in his contract during Tuesday’s deadline, sources confirmed to SNY.tv. Smith stood to make $2.4 million had he opted in, but can do a multi-year deal (up to four years) with the Knicks starting at $2.8 million or at the midlevel exception. A native of Freehold, N.J., who played at St. Benedict’s Prep, Smith averaged 12.2 points and 2.6 rebounds last season after joining the Knicks from his Chinese team. Smith was erratic from the field and shot just 31.6 percent in the playoffs. He also stirred off-court trouble by getting arrested in South Beach on a bench warrant and tweeting a picture of a partially nude woman from a Milwaukee hotel room. Still, the Knicks could bring back Smith, Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin after both Novak and Lin were given their “Early Bird Rights” last week by an arbitrator. Lin becomes a restricted free agent Sunday, but the Knicks can match any offer. “Absolutely, he’s going to be back,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson told the New York Post of Lin during an event Monday in Scarsdale. “We like what he brings to the table. He’s our starting point guard. He’s a young point guard who’s still learning, and he’s going to get better.” The report said Woodson met recently in Los Angeles with Lin, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Woodson said of Lin. “All those guys are big pieces of the puzzle as far as moving forward with the ballclub.”
