Stephen A. Smith Says NY Knicks Owner James Dolan Wanted to Trade Iman Shumpert

gmf1369

Benchwarmer
Dan Favale (Featured Columnist)

Should Carmelo Anthony leave the New York Knicks for the Los Angeles Lakers, should Orange and Blue ever make another regrettable decision, look to this moment as everything that's wrong with the organization.

Azaz of The Knicks FanBlog found a piece of video that showed Stephen A. Smith and Dwight Howard talking off the record during their most recent interview for SportsCenter's Sunday Conversation.
In it, Smith can be heard talking to Howard about how Knicks owner James Dolan wanted to trade Iman Shumpert because he didn't want to play in the summer league (h/t Deadspin for transcription):

And by the way, [James] Dolan was ready to trade [Shumpert] because he didn't want to work out in the summer league. Dolan's talking about trading him. I said, 'trade who? You better hold on to that boy. You better not lose Iman Shumpert.' That boy can play.

Smith is notorious for saying what's on his mind, and we're not able to believe every bold proclamation that comes out of his mouth, but this is just so Dolan.


Shumpert is easily New York's second-best asset at the moment. Melo figures him to be a star in the next couple of years, and trading him now for something this stupid isn't going to help the Knicks next summer when Anthony is a free agent.


We're not talking about Shumpert refusing to play in a regular-season game, or him even pulling a Derrick Rose and being overly cautious about his return from a torn ACL. This is the summer league. It means next to nothing.
Clearly, this can't be true?


Now seems like a good time to remind you that this is the same Dolan who fell asleep at a Knicks playoff game this past year, and the same Dolan who intervened during Melodrama trade talks in 2011, going over Donnie Walsh's head and probably costing the team more than they were originally offering.


That Dolan.


Given his track record, this seems right on par with his past behavior.

Never mind that your franchise cornerstone fancies Shumpert a star, or that he's one of the only good things you have going for you. Trade him, all because he didn't want to participate in exhibition-style play, when he probably could have used some rest.


That makes total sense.


Shumpert was one-and-done at the Las Vegas summer league?a decision we were led to believe was about protecting the third-year guard, but what I now consider to be a (deserved) backhanded finger-flip aimed at the buffoon the Knicks are forced to call an owner.


God forbid a player (and the team) look out for his health before Dolan's sick, twisted and nonsensical will be done, right?


Stay not-so-classy, Jimmy. You may just be able to run the Knicks into the ground ahead of schedule if you do.
 

petescud

Starter
I saw this and paid no attention to it....Kinda rumors that these guys made sound real. I believe all players are tradeable if the right offer is reached. But i don't believe what these guys mention was ever real
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
First off why would Dolan care if Shump played in Summer League? Explain from an Owner's standpoint how this makes sense? Not that Jimbo is the most logical man in the world but even he knows there is more risk than reward in arguably your 2nd best player lacing up in Summer Leagues and it's not like Summer Leauge generates $ for us, so what Owner gives a damn about Summer League

This is the type of misinfo a team puts out to find out where the leaks are in their front office and Stephen A just got someone fired!!!!

Stephen A Smith is dumb for even believing even more dumb for reporting it!
 
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NY17KNICKS

★Melo Mafia★
Some of you do realize Shumpert was seconds from being a Sacramento King at the deadline this past season right?

Their was a couple realizes he's still here but none of which are because of Shump himself.
 

erivera

Benchwarmer
Some of you do realize Shumpert was seconds from being a Sacramento King at the deadline this past season right?

Their was a couple realizes he's still here but none of which are because of Shump himself.

i don't think it was the kings. i think he was going to be involved in a trade for jared dudley of the suns.
 

Rob Low

Rotation player
It wouldn't shock me if Dolan was gonna trade him but I doubt it was because he wouldn't participate in Summer League. That makes absolutely no sense
 

Broadway

All Star
Overvalued today as we have no other young asset in the fold besides TJ, that is until we trade him tomorrow. If he were to be traded we'd talk about every shortcoming he had while here..... until then, he's the next Paul George, Latrell Sprewell, in the making.

For the most part Shump isn't that bad a player but I do wish we made the Dudley and 2 2nd round picks deal and not traded our 3 picks in the Camby/Novak deal...because essentially we'd still have the same kind of cap room available to us come 2015 as Shump will either be due for an extension yr prior to in October of next yr or his Cap Hit($6.9mil) will be more than Novak's salary($4.1mil) if he's on the books still.

As far a S.A.S. goes he's been pretty on point past 3-4yrs with news.
 
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CoolClyde

Moderator
why would S.A.S. pull this out of his ass, if basis for truth wasn't somewhere?
Dolan is not of a basketball mind, he is a clueless owner who was given the team by his daddy to run,
and is noted for getting rid of players who he feels dissed by (Sprewell, Camby, Lin), so the game of
basketball is not number one in his mind, but how Dolan himself feels he is perceived. He is a rich boy
who feels he can do whatever he wants because he can. The way he stepped in on LeBron James talks,
instead of leaving it up to professionals. I'm sure he oversees everything Glenwaldo does, which is why
Knicks miss out on gems in the draft, trade picks for sh*t, and seem to stagnate as the rest of the league
improves. Dolan needs to die sooner than later, if Knicks are to have a chance at championship. IMHO.
 

Broadway

All Star
why would S.A.S. pull this out of his ass, if basis for truth wasn't somewhere?
Dolan is not of a basketball mind, he is a clueless owner who was given the team by his daddy to run,
and is noted for getting rid of players who he feels dissed by (Sprewell, Camby, Lin), so the game of
basketball is not number one in his mind, but how Dolan himself feels he is perceived. He is a rich boy
who feels he can do whatever he wants because he can. The way he stepped in on LeBron James talks,
instead of leaving it up to professionals. I'm sure he oversees everything Glenwaldo does, which is why
Knicks miss out on gems in the draft, trade picks for sh*t, and seem to stagnate as the rest of the league
improves. Dolan needs to die sooner than later, if Knicks are to have a chance at championship. IMHO.


I wish death on no one....


trolol @ Glenwaldo...no kidding as in where is Glenwaldo?


No question I want Dolan banished from this franchise forever and I want Melo relocated not now, but right now...to whatever sport franchise/team will take him on. Even if we get back say like a Hockey bench IRL Player, or a Golf Caddy on the Women's Amatuer Tour, or a Tennis Juniors Coach, or a Little League Umpire, or an AAU Towel Boy, or a Pee-Wee league Referee, or a Golden Gloves sparring Partner....etc etc


As long as these two knuckleheads are associated with this franchise.... we will bleed slow and dry, ultimately to a painful death.
 

Broadway

All Star
No it was the Kings, it was for Tyreke Evans.
INCARCERATED BOB IBN ‏@IBNincarcerated 22h @TommyDeeTKB Shumpert was almost traded for Tyreke at the deadline it's not a big deal.

Shump was almost traded for Dudley not Tyreke....Woodson had some kind of issues with the Rook at the time(he had to have a heart-to-heart to assure him, "he wasn't going to be traded", although it sounded as if he was the main one pushing it, remember the comment from Woodson on "he couldn't guarantee him, he wouldn't be traded", early on when the rumors broke?)

Apparently he still has issues with him now, currently calling him out in the media openly discussing the things Rook needs to work on, in his game.


Hey Woodson I just wanted to congratulate you on the wonderful job you're doing killing the Rook's value.


I tell you this organization does everything it possibly can to do all the wrong things.
 

p0nder

Starter
Iman will shine brightly next year so it's a good thing that the knicks are tied to him right now. He is a valuable trade asset though and could be used to move STAT with some other pieces involved. However the interesting part of the video to me was at the very beginning.....

It is Dwight that brings up Shump at first, noting that the word was getting around the league about a trade for shump. S.A.S. is probably blowing smoke for dwight at the time because dwight brought it up.

Context is everything.
 
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