| | ESPN.com news services
Joe Smith is suddenly a hot commodity on the free-agent market.
A day after NBA commissioner David Stern voided Smith's contract with the Timberwolves, making him a free agent, teams began lining up for the services of the 6-foot-10 foward.
| |  | |
| Smith |
The New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks were among the teams expected to make a run at Smith. The Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers also are interested, according to various reports.
The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that Mavs owner Mark Cuban already had talked to Smith's agent.
Coach-general manager Don Nelson told the newspaper he wants Smith in the Mavericks lineup. "It's his choice, but if it were our choice, we'd sign him right now," Nelson said.
Smith became a free agent when Stern issued sanctions based on arbitrator Kenneth Dam's ruling Monday that the Timberwolves, Smith and his former agent, Eric Fleisher, entered into a secret agreement that violated NBA salary cap rules.
Minnesota was also fined $3.5 million and must forfeit its next five first-round draft picks.
The Mavericks can offer Smith their $2.25 million salary cap exception.
"I don't expect him to just bolt," Cuban told the Morning News. "I expect him to weigh his options carefully. He has lots of friends on the team, and has been practicing with that team, so it will be hard emotionally for him to leave. But if he does leave, I think our chances are as good as any."
Smith's new agent, Dan Fegan, has two clients on the Mavs' roster -- Howard Eisley and Donnell Harvey.
The Knicks also did not hide their interest in Smith.
"He's certainly a great player and we certainly have interest in him," general manager Scott Layden told The New York Times on Wednesday. "We'll certainly see if there's a chance to get him here."
Fegan said the Knicks would be a good fit for his client. "He's still looking at his options with other teams, but New York is a situation that would suit him," Fegan said, adding that he had spoken to Layden.
The Miami Heat, who will be without All-Star center Alonzo Mourning this season, can offer Smith $3.9 million if the league awards the club a disabled-player exception, according to the Miami Herald. The report said the Heat have applied for that exception.
The Heat have made Smith its No. 1 target, the Herald reported, citing an unnamed NBA official.
The Bulls, who reportedly have an interest in Smith, could offer Smith about $6 million.
Smith, 25, is entering his sixth season. He has averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. The No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft, Smith averaged only 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds a game last season as the Timberwolves' sixth man.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA hammers T-Wolves for secret deal with Smith
Denberg: Wolves got what they deserved
AUDIO/VIDEO
 ESPN's David Aldridge talks with Trey Wingo about the Joe Smith ruling on SportsCenter.
RealVideo: 28.8
|
