Knicks guard J.R. Smith will opt out of his player option with the Knicks on Tuesday, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to SNY.tv.
“Yes, he is,” the source said.
The timeframe was first reported by the Daily News.
Smith, the newly-minted Sixth Man of the Year, is owed $2.9 million on his current deal, but it had long been assumed that he would opt out to test free agency.
“J.R’s a special player,” Carmelo Anthony said last month, according to the Daily News. “To me and to everybody on this team he made a huge step forward as a basketball player and we look forward to that. For him to come out, win the Sixth Man of the Year award, helping us to win a division title, helping us to win 50-plus games, he was a big part to this team. I definitely would love him back here.”
Smith is a New Jersey native who would like to remain with the Knicks, but if he gets $5-$6 million per year on the free agent market, he may opt to leave.
The Knicks own the No. 24 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft and could go in a number of directions.
They could take a point guard to replace Jason Kidd, now the coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and Pablo Prigioni, who also may not return.
The top targets at point guard — Michael Carter-Williams, Trey Burke, C.J. McCollum and Shane Larkin — are all expected to be long gone by the 24th pick. The Knicks could opt to take someone like Nate Wolters of South Dakota State if they want a point guard.
Or they could take a wing player such Tim Hardaway Jr., Allen Crabbe or Reggie Bullock.
They also are looking at a couple of veterans in Shawne Williams, whom sources confirmed worked out Monday, and former Rutgers guard Quincy Douby, who comes on Tuesday, sources confirmed.
