NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Corey Brewer and J.R. Smith
The season may be fresh, but after just a small amount of time most NBA teams know if they're good or bad.
After several lackluster performances, the Minnesota Timberwolves know they are a bad team and appear to be looking toward the future.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, Minnesota is looking to shop shooting guard Corey Brewer:
"The Minnesota Timberwolves, fresh off heavy back-to-back losses in New Orleans and Dallas and in the latest indication of their growing focus on the future, are in active trade discussions with multiple contending teams pursuing veteran swingman Corey Brewer, according to league sources.
Minnesota is believed to be seeking future assets in exchange for Brewer as it tries to accelerate its rebuilding effort in the wake of trading star power forward Kevin Love to the Cavaliers in August.
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Brewer is a seven-year veteran and commands a pricey salary that will earn him just over $4.7 million this season and more than $4.9 million next season, according to Spotrac.com. That's not the kind of contract the Timberwolves will want to keep on the books if they choose to go through a rebuilding effort.
Luckily, there is interest out there for the swingman. He's been utilized as a starter and off the bench in recent seasons, faring well in both roles. Through nine games (two starts) this season, Brewer is averaging 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game in a limited role. He's shooting 47.1 percent from the field and could also be viewed as a defensive upgrade for many squads.
Stein tweeted both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets are early front-runners for Brewer's services:
He also noted the swingman's contract may not be difficult to absorb for either team due to trade exceptions:
Cleveland could be a favorable option for Brewer due to his familiarity with Kevin Love. Bringing in another viable shooter will also lessen the burden on LeBron James, so the fit appears to be there. Rockets coach Kevin McHale is also familiar with the shooting guard from drafting him out of Florida while he was with the Timberwolves.
While some teams are looking to offload players like Brewer who simply don't fit the future plans of the franchise, others are just trying to get rid of dead weight. Such is the case with New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweeted that the Knicks have been discussing the possibility of trading Smith:
Considering Smith's history, that may be a tall order. He was suspended earlier this year due to striking Glen Rice Jr. of the Washington Wizards in the groin. Smith appeared to think the disciplinary action was due to his reputation, via Marc Berman of the New York Post.
That's not exactly the kind of reputation that allows a player to be traded with ease. Factor in his 2014-15 season salary that falls just shy of $6 million according to Spotrac.com, and the situation gets even worse for the Knicks.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders weighed in on the situation:
"Unless the Knicks want to dump Smith and not get much back in return, it's unlikely he will be traded. Smith is making $5,982,375 this year and has a $6,399,750 player option for next year, and many teams don’t want to touch that contract.
Throw in the fact that he's viewed as a negative locker room presence by many executives and it’ll be difficult for New York to get anything of value back in a Smith deal.
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Considering Smith is only averaging 9.6 points per game this season, Kennedy may be right on with his prediction. Luckily for New York, the guard did put up 28 points in the team's victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, so it may be time to buckle down and get a deal in place while Smith's stock is slightly higher.
