Knicks Rumors: Jeremy Lin Must Convince Knicks Front Office to Pass on JR Smith

Jeremy Lin appears likely to return to the New York Knicks, so now the young point guard must take a leadership role and convince the Knicks' front office that re-signing J.R. Smith is not worth it. 

First of all, there's the financial issue. 

Smith's player option was for $2.4 million, and by opting out, he created two options for himself and the Knicks. The first is to re-sign with the team and make $2.8 million this next season—20 percent more than he was previously able to—and up to $12.2 million if he signs for four years. His salary would be able to increase by 4.5 percent each year during the allotted time period.

The shooting guard could also choose to re-sign for just a single season, allowing him to qualify for "early Bird" rights and a $5.3-million salary in 2013-14.

Because he's a "non-Bird" free agent at the moment, the Knicks won't have to use a mid-level exception on him unless he asks for more than $2.8 million for his next contract. 

It's possible that other teams could wrest Smith away from the Knicks by offering either the mid-level exception or by utilizing cap room to offer more than $2.8 million. If either of those things happen, the Knicks have to let him walk and focus on other priorities.

However, even if the Knicks can keep him on the cheap, it's not worth it. Lin, of all people, should recognize this because of his ability to distribute the ball among teammates. 

It's going to be hard enough for Lin to satisfy Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire when both stars are healthy. Adding in another ballhog like Smith isn't going to help make the situation any easier. 

Smith is what we like to call a "microwave." He'll go through cold spells and then suddenly heat up, draining shot after improbable shot as he defies the odds. 

The shooting guard is one of the microwaves that doesn't have an off switch, though. If he starts missing, his conscience doesn't exactly take over. He just keeps shooting and can shoot his team right out of a game if a coach doesn't take control of the situation. 

We often talk about how individual players can single-handedly win or lose games. Smith takes that to an extreme. 

After playing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls during the lockout, Smith returned to the Knicks and played in 35 contests, starting only one. He averaged 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists during that time but shot only 40.7 percent from the field. 

There are plenty of cheap players out there who can give the Knicks a similar line and do it more efficiently. Smith may provide the occasional highlight play, but he's also going to make the Not Top 10 a few times. 

When Lin is running the show, he's going to be tasked with making the New York offense flow smoothly. It's hard enough to do that with two ball-stoppers, let alone two ball-stoppers and a conscienceless shot-jacker. 

If he wants to win—and he surely does—Lin must attempt to convince the Knicks' brass that re-signing Smith is a bad idea and that the opt-out was a blessing in disguise.