NBA Trade Rumors: J.R. Smith Shopped By Phil Jackson! Will The New York Knicks Find Any Takers For Notorious Guard? Former Sixth Man Of The Year Deemed ‘Untradeable!’

The NBA Trade Rumors are looking both ways-teams like the Cavs who are hungry for a title and teams like the Knicks who are desperate to survive. Many Eastern Teams have improved because of free agent signings and the draft, and Madison Square Garden might be vacant in April again.

Phil Jackson understands the pressure to perform especially in the most famous arena in the entire league. He nailed the first item on the agenda: keeping Carmelo Anthony. Now, he needs to build a better supporting cast, and to do that, he needs to weed out some excess baggage.

That includes the player who two seasons ago was the best off the bench. J.R. Smith, the Knicks' notorious character, definitely needs to go if Jackson wants to cultivate a winning culture free from distractions. But that's easier said than done.

To his credit, Smith is aware of his shortcomings. From ESPN2:

"Q: Will you be surprised if Phil Jackson traded you?

JR Smith: No. Absolutely not. The way I was playing, I was playing like a person who didn't want to be there. Not looking as focused as a person should be in that situation that we were, in the trenches. I wouldn't blame them at all."

It's not the first time he's been shopped around. Last January, the Knicks got fed up with his on-court antics after getting fined $ 50,000 for untying Greg Monroe's shoelaces on court.

A report from the NY Post:

"League and team sources maintain the Knicks would love to be rid of Smith, who cannot be traded until Jan. 15 under the league's CBA.

'Untradeable,' was how one opposing executive views Smith. Another exec, claiming he had no direct knowledge of Knick efforts to deal Smith, said, 'The only thing they will get is a worse contract.'"

But Jackson was able to deal away Raymond Felton although he needed to package him with Tyson Chandler. This time, they plan to send Iman Shumpert, another shooting guard who's coveted by teams as he is still on a rookie contract and is a good defensive player, along with JR.