The New York Knicks are coming off of a colossally disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference despite having the second highest payroll in the entire league.
With star forward Carmelo Anthony entering free agency, this off-season could be one that shapes the next half-decade for the Knicks.
While there are definitely Knicks players who will attempt to get Melo to re-sign with the team, one player who won’t be discussing the situation with Anthony is enigmatic shooting guard J.R. Smith. According to Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal, Smith is planning to keep his distance.
JR Smith said he doesnt plan to talk to Carmelo this summer about free agency. Said if he did, Melo would probably stop returning his calls
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) April 16, 2014
This might not necessarily be a bad thing for the Knicks organization. After all, the less Melo thinks about J.R. and his YOLO 3’s, the better for New York.
With teams like the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets on Melo’s short list of potential destinations, Phil Jackson and the Knicks are going to have to work hard to bring back their superstar this summer.
