Tim Hardaway Jr. Drafted By Knicks: Where Does This Leave J.R. Smith In The Plans For Next Season?

Tim Hardaway Jr. drafted by Knicks gives New York immediate help off the bench rather than developing a player, but what does it mean for J.R. Smith?

With Tim Hardaway Jr. drafted by Knicks on Thursday night during the NBA draft, New York received a player who can both play the guard and small forward position. This gives the team depth and an option in case J.R. Smith doesn't return for the 2013-2014 season.

Smith won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, but after a disappointing postseason, he decided to opt out of his players-option and become an unrestricted free agent earlier this week. Tim Hardaway Jr. drafted by Knicks could mean the end of Smith in New York, but Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald was focused more on the draft pick.

"We're in a position where we want to win right now, so we don't have a lot of time to develop," Glen Grunwald said in a late news conference at the team's facility in Greenburgh.

The Michigan star was in Grunwald's opinion, not somebody the Knicks would have to develop in the D-League or even overseas like last year's second-round pick of Kostas Papanikolaou-a 6'8", 230-pound Greek forward who plays overseas.

"We looked at getting the best player available, secondly someone who could contribute right away and the third criteria was filling a need on our team," Grunwald said during the conference. "You could say we have needs across the board in terms of position, but it's also true we only have two players under contract at the guard position (Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton). It's definitely a need, but I think the primary reason we drafted him is we felt he's the best player available."

As the talks to possibly sign Smith back to New York continues, Grunswald is happy to have somebody with a pedigree and a father who had a solid career in the NBA of Tim Hardaway Sr.

"He's obviously got some good bloodlines there from a guy who had a great NBA career," Grunwald said, adding that son was just like father, a fierce competitor. "We were impressed with his interview. We were impressed with his shooting, his athleticism and his overall demeanor."