Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr. Denies Allegations He Was Paid to Attend NC State

New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. reportedly told NC State officials that he and his family never received payments from Adidas in exchange for playing for the team during the 2016-17 season, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN. 

Per that report, Smith said he "didn't know former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola, whom the NCAA has accused of providing $40,000 from Adidas to former Wolfpack assistant Orlando Early to give to Smith's family in October 2015."

NC State was hit with two Level I violations in July, which included determining that Smith had been ineligible for the 2016-17 season. 

Gassnola testified in the federal government's corruption and bribery case—brought against several college basketball coaches, agents and various employees for apparel companies such as Adidas—that he made two payments to people "close to Smith."

Per Schlabach's report:

"Gassnola said the first payment, of an unspecified amount, came during Smith's junior year of high school after Andy Miller, who ran the ASM Sports agency, informed Gassnola that Smith wanted to leave the Adidas grassroots circuit. The second payment came in the fall of 2015, after [Wolfpack assistant Orlando] Early reached out to Gassnola to say there were issues surrounding Smith, who had committed earlier in the fall."

The attorneys for Early told federal prosecutors that former NC State coach Mark Gottfried had twice handed him envelopes, ostensibly filled with money, to give to Smith's trainer, Shawn Farmer.

But Smith told several high-ranking NC State administrators, including NC State deputy athletic director Chris Boyer, that he "if he had accepted money he would not have been driving his grandmother's car" and added that he "knew how to help himself financially," saying he would receive free shoes and clothes from Adidas since they sponsored his grassroots team, and that he would in turn sell that gear for money.

He also said he attended NC State because he grandmother was a fan of the school and only took one official visit, which was to NC State, during his recruitment.