New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith can be a free agent this summer, but said he does not want to leave the team.
Smith, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, has a player option for next season for just under $3 million, but there is a good chance that he will opt out of it and seek a multi-year contract that includes a higher salary.
“I want to retire a Knick,” Smith told the New York Daily News. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. I was standing in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game (Saturday) and just knowing that I don’t want to be anywhere else except in the orange and blue. We’ll see.”
The Knicks were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
When asked if he was willing to take less money to stay with the Knicks, Smith said, “I haven’t even thought about all that, that far. I still have to talk to (agent) Leon (Rose) and see where we’re at.”
—Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins is owed nearly $19 million over the next two seasons, but the team has no plans to amnesty him.
The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement that was agreed on in 2011 allows teams to release one player without his salary counting against the cap. The Thunder have not yet used the one-time provision.
Perkins averaged 4.2 points and six rebounds per game this season.
—In his upcoming book, “Eleven Rings,” former NBA coach Phil Jackson writes that Michael Jordan was a better leader, shooter and defender than Kobe Bryant.
The Los Angeles Times published excerpts of the book, which is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.
In comparing Jordan and Bryant, Jackson wrote: “One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael’s superior skills as a leader. Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he’d yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had.”
—Scott Skiles is a candidate for the Brooklyn Nets coaching vacancy.
The Racine Journal Times reported that the former Milwaukee Bucks coach is on the short list of those being considered for the Nets’ job.
The Nets are reportedly looking for a tough-minded coach who is offensively innovative.
— Nate Robinson, who is an unrestricted free agent, is unlikely to return to the Chicago Bulls next season, CSN Chicago reported.
With Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich expected back and depth in the backcourt, the Bulls are unlikely to offer Robinson the multiyear deal is likely to command.