Former Louisville guard Chris Smith will be on the Knicks summer league team, he confirmed to SNY.tv.
“Yes,” Smith, a Freehold, N.J. native and the younger brother of free agent shooting guard J.R. Smith, said by text.
The Knicks haven’t released their Las Vegas roster yet, but Al Iannazzone of Newsday reported that Jerome Jordan and Josh Harrellson will play for the team, and that Toney Douglas wants to. Hoopshype reported that Belgian League MVP Chris Copeland will also play for the Knicks.
The 6-2 Smith worked out for the Knicks before the NBA Draft and has also shot around at the Knicks Westchester campus.
He helped Louisville win the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden and then embraced J.R. after the victory. He also helped propel the Cardinals to the Final Four where they lost to eventual champ Kentucky.
Considered primarily a shooter, Smith averaged 9.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
J.R. Smith will become a free agent because he decided not to exercise the opt-in clause in his contract.
Smith stood to make $2.4 million had he opted in, but can do a multi-year deal (up to four years) with the Knicks starting at $2.8 million or at the midlevel exception.
Still, there is a risk that another team could outbid the Knicks for Smith, an erratic player who averaged 12.2 points and 2.6 rebounds last season after joining the Knicks from his Chinese team. He then made headlines with several off-court incidents, including an arrest in Miami on a bench warrant.
