The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is officially on the market. J.R. Smith informed the New York Knicks that he would be declining his option to return another season and will hit the free agent market at the beginning of July. Having only been on the market for 24 hours, Smith is already receiving plenty of interest from teams around the league.
Smith's exit from the Knicks comes of no surprise. He was scheduled to make $2.9 million next season if he optioned the final year of his deal and he could likely make more than that with another team. The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping to be that other team as they are set to be the first to pursue Smith once free agency is officially underway.
ESPN New York reports that the Bucks are interested in both Smith and Chris Copeland this offseason. Copeland is likely to become a restricted free agent, allowing the Knicks to match any offer by another team. The Bucks will begin their offseason with two of their biggest stars likely to test free agency and might need to refill their backcourt. The Bucks are well under the salary cap, allowing them to make more moves than the likes of the Knicks who are capped out at this point. They can outbid them for the likes of Copeland.
The Bucks may let Brandon Jennings walk in free agency. Jennings has been vocal about pursuing other options and the Milwaukee seems content with letting that happen. He is a restricted free agent so they could match any offer by a team. They will likely attempt to re-sign Monta Ellis and add Smith in place of Jennings. It is hard envisioning Smith going from New York to a small market team, but the chance to earn more money and be leader for a team make the Bucks appealing.
Copeland is an odd target for the Bucks. He plays well and has a great ability to stretch the floor, but with players like Drew Gooden and John Henson on the roster, there might not be a spot for Copeland. The likes of the signings all happening are very slim. Jennings is a highly productive player and the odds of Milwaukee just giving up on him seem crazy. They will not be able to sign Smith while also have both Jennings and Ellis on the roster.
Smith earned the Sixth Man of the Year title after having a strong ending to the season. He shot above 40 percent for the final three months of the season. He followed that up going 54-of-163 in the postseason. Smith will be a strong addition to a team, just maybe not the Bucks.
