Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 12:47 pm  |  52 responses

Report: Clippers Will Pursue JR Smith


They’ve already picked up Kenyon Martin, and now the Clippers reportedly have their sights on a different free agent who’s spent the past few months in China. Yep, JR Smith may soon become the newest resident Lob City, reports the LA Times: “The Clippers, still not done dealing after signing Kenyon Martin on Friday, will pursue guard J.R. Smith after the team he plays on in the Chinese Basketball Assn. finishes its season and he becomes eligible to play in the NBA, said a person not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The Clippers aren’t getting enough production off the bench behind small forward Caron Butler and feel as if Smith can provide the team with a big scoring punch at the position, the person said. Smith, a 6-6 wing player, averaged 12.5 points on 42.8% shooting, including 37.1% from three-point range, during his seven-year NBA career with New Orleans and Denver. He would be an unrestricted free agent that the Clippers could sign to the mini-mid-level exception of $2.5 million, or for the veteran minimum of about $1 million.”

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  • Bravo Posted: Feb.5 at 12:48 pm
    Make it happen !

  • JML-G Posted: Feb.5 at 12:51 pm
    Smith will most likely sign with Knicks, since couple days ago he tweeted ‘New York is where its at’

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Feb.5 at 12:52 pm
    I like the Knicks chances. BOOK IT!

  • LLC#12 Posted: Feb.5 at 1:02 pm
    A team that has terrible ball movement on offense and is awful defensively would benefit from adding another offensive black hole and defensive turnstile? Really? I hope he goes to the Knicks just for comedy value..

  • ripslam Posted: Feb.5 at 1:03 pm
    Sorry Knickerbockers…

  • Shem Posted: Feb.5 at 1:05 pm
    I don’t agree with this, they would get him for a one year contract on a year that’s already half finished. It would take him time to get to learn the offence as well. If they could lock him up for more than a year somehow I might think it was a good move but they already have Mo Williams and Billups who are shoot first guards.

  • spit hot fiyah Posted: Feb.5 at 1:25 pm
    ^good points, but they might still get him for cheap if at 2.5

  • PG Posted: Feb.5 at 1:34 pm
    LA Nuggets! Make it happen.

  • Quinned Posted: Feb.5 at 1:36 pm
    they already used the mini midlevel on K-mart he should be able to get more than the vet min somewhere

  • LA Huey Posted: Feb.5 at 1:43 pm
    LLC#12 said EXACTLY what I was thinking

  • T-Ray Posted: Feb.5 at 2:13 pm
    @shem
    I don’t think he’ll struggle with the offense considering a majority of their offense is pick and roll and dribble drive.

  • Bash Posted: Feb.5 at 2:27 pm
    Obviously the Knicks haven’t read Casey Jacobsen……

  • LaguneroFan Posted: Feb.5 at 2:30 pm
    the clippers are now the manchester city of the nba.

  • Random Posted: Feb.5 at 3:07 pm
    ^true dat

  • the_unknown Posted: Feb.5 at 3:16 pm
    well, there goes eric bledsoe.

  • Jake Posted: Feb.5 at 3:23 pm
    I dunno… I don’t think that would be a good fit. He needs to go somewhere with a coach that won’t deal with his B.S. San Antonio comes to mind, or Chicago even.

  • tomtom Posted: Feb.5 at 3:49 pm
    He doesn’t fit, don’t get me wrong i admire the Clips ongoing quest for impovment (another LA team could learn a lot) but this really isn’t a nice fit. He has always had a big ego, which will probs be enhanced further now that he was the ‘kobe’ of that crappy chinese league. But more to the point, they have a few guys who basically do the same job as him, loading up with talent doesn’t always mean a chip. I think NY get him anyway, the Melo connection?

  • AD Posted: Feb.5 at 4:12 pm
    clippers tryna be the heat 2.0……. smh jr would be nice in chicago

  • wagers Posted: Feb.5 at 4:20 pm
    Eric Bledsoe has amazing trade value on 2k12, so maybe that will transfer over into real life…LOL

  • Red Posted: Feb.5 at 4:26 pm
    This will make the Clippers a monster on paper.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Feb.5 at 4:32 pm
    Tick tick tick…It’s just a matter of time until J.R. Smith is a Knick.

  • bnets Posted: Feb.5 at 4:40 pm
    JR Smith, “For 2.5 million, haha ya no thanks.”

  • bnets Posted: Feb.5 at 4:45 pm
    Denver will do a Sign and trade with the Bulls

  • Isaac Posted: Feb.5 at 4:51 pm
    Knicks are terrible… why would he go to a team that has no chance at winning a title? Unless they get a legit PG.. JR will basically be coming to play for like 5 regular season games and then the playoffs.. With K-Mart on the team.. and Bledsoe/Foye’s expiring being good trade assets.. They could do it and end up having one of the deepest benches in the league. To whoever said JR tweeted about NY.. He’s also tweeted a few times about the Clippers as well “How would i look in Red, White and Blue?” while the Clips were beating OKC was his latest.

  • Heals Posted: Feb.5 at 5:04 pm
    Terrible ball movement and awful defense = 3rd in the West right now…

  • Heals Posted: Feb.5 at 5:06 pm
    man, they 2nd…

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Feb.5 at 5:08 pm
    J.R. Smith is playing for a contract, and that mini mid-level exception is certainely enough to get him in a Knicks uniform the rest of this season. Then factor in the fact he’ll be getting a lot of minutes due to the fact the Knicks sorely need his outside shooting. Lastly, Carmelo is like family dog. This isn’t even going to be a competition. The Knicks make the most sense for J.R. Smith when he comes back from China. Book it!

  • quest Posted: Feb.5 at 5:11 pm
    clippers arent going to win it all this year anyways and chauncey isnt really playing well for them in my opinion and will prolly retire so it is feasible as a long term decision. Im pretty sure chris paul would run him out of town when he starts putting expectations on him like in new orleans get jr if they can get him long term

  • LLC#12 Posted: Feb.5 at 5:24 pm
    @Heals, the terrible ball movement and awful defense comment was about the Knicks not the Clippers, who are playing solid now imo

  • vctmac Posted: Feb.5 at 6:13 pm
    CHEEEZZ, make it happen ! the clips LACK an actual 2 who is explosive and can shoot the lights out. he can be a starter there and lets face it, he gets to play in HOLLYWOOD, thts right~ knicks aint going no where this year, they cnt even decide if they wanna have carmelo scoring or stat scoring lmao. JR smith, should do this, hes in his prime! BUT, if JR wants more of a scoring role, the BULLS would be a better fit. but whose to say RIP /KORVER wnt consume most minutes anyway.

  • l2ising Phoenix Posted: Feb.5 at 6:45 pm
    If he goes to the clips look for him to come off the bench. Chauncy would dread coming off the bench.. I don’t see how he’d be effective on the Knicks. We already have fields and shumpert.. I’m not sure j.r would be an upgrade over fields since smith isnt known for his D, and isnt that much of team player. Ummmmm, i see the Chicago scenario working out since it could possibly be an upgrade over RIP, I’m not sure how he’s playing in chi. They could bring smith off the bench there also but brewer would be pushed back in the rotation, and he’s a top 5 perimeter defender, not sure how the j.r saga will play out.

  • Heals Posted: Feb.5 at 7:12 pm
    I shoulda figured that way, good call man…

  • nbk Posted: Feb.5 at 7:15 pm
    I’m 90% sure JR Smith is more after the money than anything else. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he signed a multi-year deal with a bad team.

  • l2ising Phoenix Posted: Feb.5 at 8:05 pm
    @nbk , possibly, but how much did he make in the CBA? I know kmart had the biggest contract in CBA history , but still , I have no clue about the exchange rate. & @ Heals , Thanks.

  • SwaGG_SeaN Posted: Feb.5 at 8:18 pm
    Ahh man let’s add a headcase to the mix

  • nbk Posted: Feb.5 at 9:09 pm
    They signed in the CBA because they thought there would be no season. Basically, to make money incase there was no season.

  • Jeremy Bauman Posted: Feb.5 at 9:41 pm
    If they land him, it helps their championship hopes a lot – adding that kind of scoring weapon (if fully bought into the system) can put them over the top. I’ve long thought that JR Smith could be a vital scoring punch off the bench for a Championship team under the right circumstances.

  • grgeblck Posted: Feb.5 at 10:19 pm
    sounds like clippers want everyone else…

  • Hart26 Posted: Feb.5 at 11:12 pm
    Knicks….

  • Hart26 Posted: Feb.5 at 11:13 pm
    Knick bound?….

  • Gametimeweezy Posted: Feb.6 at 12:15 am
    Will Purdue?

  • BBaller Posted: Feb.6 at 12:17 am
    If the Knicks can get healthy and all be on the same page, that page on paper with B.Davis, J.R Smith, Melo , Stat and Chandler is pretty thick.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Feb.6 at 3:05 am
    @BBaller that starting lineup has serious potential. J.R. would have some huge games feeding off of all the doubles the Knicks frontcourt gets.

  • Tempest Posted: Feb.6 at 4:24 am
    Chris Paul
    JR Smith
    Blake Griffin
    Kenyon Martin
    Deandre Jordan Lob City Baby!!!

  • Young 23 Posted: Feb.6 at 7:39 am
    @Tempest no way Blake’s playing small forward.

  • MR.BASKETBALL Posted: Feb.6 at 7:42 am
    This Clippers team is trying to have a deep team.I think J.R. Smith is a great scorer and a excellent player.But maturity and off the court legal troubles have me cautious of him coming to any team in the NBA.Whoever gets him will have instant offense much like O.J. Mayo does off the bench for the Grizzlies,J.R.Smith can flat out score the ball.

  • DerekG Posted: Feb.6 at 8:19 am
    STAT, Melo and JR in New York! Where will the defense come from? Sounds like more blows to me! I’d prefer to get Aaron Brooks to be honest!

  • DerekG Posted: Feb.6 at 8:22 am
    @ Tempest…Blake at small forward sounds like good comedic relief! Imagine him out on the perimeter trying to beat someone off the dribble or better yet…shooting a three to keep the defense honest! I’d tune in to see that couple times! LOL!!

  • Yesse Posted: Feb.6 at 8:53 am
    If it happens, it’s giving a big advantage for Clippers.

  • eZ Posted: Feb.6 at 9:38 am
    The only player returning from the CBA who’s worth adding is Wilson Chandler..

  • lanaz Posted: Feb.7 at 11:04 am
    Jr needs to take hamiltons spot on Chicago and form a run Smh gun trio of rose deng smith.

  • lanaz Posted: Feb.7 at 11:05 am
    And*

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