NBA Trade Rumors: Dennis Smith Jr Fed Up, Wants To Rediscover Form Outside Gotham

KEY POINTS

Dennis Smith Jr. wants out of New York
Several teams could use Smith to boost their guard rotation
The Knicks may have no use for Smith with a regular rotation in place

Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks has not been performing at the level most remember him to be with the Dallas Mavericks. With the Knicks experiencing turmoil all season long, it's not hard to understand why.

New York is headed in another direction following the firing of David Fizdale. And whenever there are things like this, one can expect a team to make changes. So far, there is no mention of Smith's name, but it appears the 22-year-old guard has had enough.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the 9th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft prefers to move on from the Knicks. Several unnamed teams have already made inquiries on Smith. Hence, it would not be surprising if an NBA trade goes down before February. So the question right now is which team will make the best offer to get his services.

From the looks of it, future picks will be of interest to the Knicks. With a woeful 8-24 win-loss record in the NBA Eastern Conference, New York is well on its way to another disappointing season. Mike Miller continues to call the shots on an interim basis with former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt serving as a consultant. These two heads alone hint that change is coming to Gotham by the 2020-21 NBA season.

As for Smith, his stint with the Knicks has been disappointing this NBA season. He is logging only 16.1 minutes per game and averaging a measly 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. These are a far cry from his career averages of 13.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists, according to Basketball-Reference.

Also, the former North Carolina State standout finds himself playing behind RJ Barrett, Elfrid Payton, and Frank Ntilikina. In a previous report, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the teams monitoring the Smith situation. Knowing that Smith Jr. wants out, expect more teams to join the fray - including contenders looking to beef up their rotation. The Los Angeles Lakers could use a guy like Smith in the rotation as well, especially now that they are dealing with injuries to several stars.