The 24 year old is in the final year of a deal set to pay him $6.03 million this year. With his immense skills set and talent level, he’ll have more than a few teams willing to take a gamble on him. And he’ll have an equal grouping that will pass on him because of his attitude issues.

In regards to the talents and skills of J.R. Smith, he’s easily a top ten shooting guard if the game was solely based on ability. You can literally count on both hands the number of players who can do the things he can with a basketball. Heck, there are players considered better than him that doesn’t have the talents and skills of Smith.

Yet his problems lie with his attitude and maturity issues. And though they aren’t as bad as they were two years ago, they still tend to rear their ugly head ever once and a while…especially when Smith isn’t happy with his playing time.

Smith was a starter early in his career and hasn’t been shy in making it known that he wants to return to such a role.

With that said. Here are the top five teams he has a chance at becoming a starter for.

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Thomas, who had signed on to be a part-time consultant for the New York Knicks, will reportedly not be taking the position with his former team, where he served as President of Basketball Operations from 2003 to 2008 (and as head coach in 2007 and 2008).

Thomas' rehiring led to league wide distress, causing many other teams to question the arrangement between the two parties. Duke head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, was particularly outspoken on the issue in an interview with the NY Times.

“In college, everybody is looking to make sure that no one has advantage, so I probably could be hired by somebody as a consultant. But I would never want to do that. I would decline to do that, just because I shouldn’t be perceived to have an advantage over another college coach.”

Many of the other NCAA Basketball coaches shared his distaste for the deal, considering it to be an advantage when it comes to college recruiting. Jim Arrow, a coach at South Alabama, explained how-so, in a telephone interview with the NY Times.

“I can’t believe that the N.C.A.A. would O.K. him to be able to have dual roles, or dual positions, that I think would help one in recruiting,” Arrow argued that Thomas can now “go into a home and say, ‘By the way, I’m also connected with the Knicks and I can guarantee you that you’ll be able to be looked at by the Knicks.' It’s a tremendous advantage.”

Thomas returning to the Knicks, albeit in a small role, has been nothing more than a distraction. Knicks owner James Dolan should have known the backlash that would ensue with the rehiring of Thomas. If all is true, Isiah Thomas will be making his best decision as a Knick, and will step out of the way.

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In a statement released by Knicks President Donnie Walsh and Garden Chairman James Dolan, Isaiah Thomas is back!

You would think that, after his reign of terror, the knicks would like to stay as far away from Isaiah Thomas as possible. Common sense dictates that the Knicks would not want to have any part in making Thomas a piece of their franchise, for a second time. And yet, here he is, again.

Officially, Isaiah will be a Part-time Consultant. It will not be the GM position (still vacant) he once held, so Isaiah has no decision making power (sigh of relief). Regardless, hiring Isaiah is like picking up smoking after you have just beat lung cancer. It makes no sense.

He is only there to evaluate talent and help bring in new players. Has Management just forgot about the kind of talent he has brought in the past? Here is a short list:

Jerome James, Renaldo Balkman, Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry...

Any one of you reading this could certainly extend that list.

To his credit, he did draft players like Trevor Ariza, David Lee, and Wilson Chandler. But never-the-less, every single Knicks fan would sleep better at night if Isaiah wasn't around at all.

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The soon-to-be 30-year-old is a natural shooting guard, and will add depth to the Knicks bench. More importantly, he will be the oldest Knick and will bring a veteran presence to the young team. 

Mason has bounced around quite a bit, playing for the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and San Antonio Spurs. He also did a stint overseas, playing for the Greek team Olympiacos B.C. and for Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. in the Israeli League. 

Mason had his best year in 2008-09 with the Spurs, posting career highs in points per game (11.8), assists per game (2.1) and rebounds per game (3.1). His numbers have decreased overall since then, but there is no doubt that he will be able to help the Knicks this coming season.

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– Via Realgm.com

“ The Knicks have had “ongoing discussions” with the representatives for free-agent guard Shannon Brown, according to agent Mark Bartelstein .

“It’s been something Donnie [Walsh, Knicks president] and I have talked about throughout the summer,” Bartelstein said. “Mike [ D'Antoni , Knicks coach] and Donnie and I have had conversations.”

While Shannon Brown isn’t the prototypical shooting guard the Knicks ar e in need of, his athletic ability and championship pedigree (member of two championship Laker teams) are a definite plus and pre-requisite for any Mike D’Antoni player.

For my money, a combination of Bill Walker, Andy Rautins, Landry Fields and even Wilson Chandler could better fill the role of shooting guard than Shannon Brown, but it seems like Donnie Walsh is in the business of acquiring young cheap assets this offseason and Shannon Brown definitely meets that criteria.

Come December 15th, the contracts of Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, and now potentially Shannon Brown all become tradable.  Packaging those players with the likes of Galinari, Chandler, and Eddy Curry would put the Knicks in the drivers seat when it comes to any potential Chris Paul trade.

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Reports are surfacing the New York Knicks have made an offer to Lakers free agent shooting guard Shannon Brown.

The terms of the deal are still unknown.

At this point, Brown has two options: Take the offer from the Knicks, or wait and see if the Lakers can trade Sasha Vujacic so that he can resign with the two time defending champions. 

If Brown accepts the offer from the Knicks, he would be fighting for minutes with Wilson Chandler (some believe Brown would eventually earn the starting spot over Chandler), and Kelenna Azubuike. Brown's numbers last season were not all that impressive, averaging 8.1 points per game. The upside is that he was only playing about 20 minutes per game (for his career he is averaging about 6 points in 15 minutes per game). With more playing time his numbers would certainly rise all-around. 

For Brown to stay with LA, they will need to move Vujacic. Sasha is in his contract year and is owed a little under 5.5 million this season. They already tried to deal him for Delonte West, but to no avail. 

If LA does manage to move Vujacic, Brown is likely to resign and resume his roll coming off the bench with limited minutes.

If Brown wishes to become more than just a highlight reel, he will sign with the Knicks. With the Knicks he will get increased minutes, and D'Antoni will make him more of a productive player on offense. 

Or, If he wants another shot at a championship, he will wait and resign with the Lakers, where his minutes and production will likely stay the same.

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The Huffington Post is among many media outlets currently tracking down Amare Stoudemire's possible Jewish heritage. The new New York Knicks star has been in the spotlight ever since his move from Phoenix to the Big Apple. 

Basketball is not entirely a huge sport in Israel, but the Knicks forward was making a trip there this off-season. There was speculation that this was basketball related, but a Jewish website turned that rumor down. Stoudemire admitted he was "going 2 study Hebrew" on his Twitter account .

Haaretz revealed that Amare Stoudemire's mother has traces to Jewish roots. This is the main reason why the basketball star is out in the Middle East. Stoudemire could in fact be learning about his real heritage by the minute. 

"This ze ha'halon sheli" was another one of Stoudemire's tweets. When translated the tweet means "This is my dream." The latest tweets also end with "Shalom." All signs are pointing toward another Israeli star in the NBA. He could one day join an all Jewish All-Star team with Omar Cassipi and Jordan Farmar. 

This all seems like a happy ending and a happy realization, but then comes the professional and real NBA agent to Amare Stoudemire. He officially released a statement saying, "I know there are some reports that he is Jewish, but he is not. He thinks there may be some Jewish blood on his mother's side and he is researching it."

Guess the whole world has to wait and see what will be next in Stoudemire's journey for the truth. Hey, because Stoudemire's move to New York he will always be in the media's spotlight as one of the city's biggest stars. 

Welcome to the celebrity life! This is just one of many realizations that Amare will have about himself, as the media will soon come to know Amare better than he knows himself. 

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Dan LeBatard announced on his radio show that a rumor is swirling which indicates that Paul would ask for a trade to the New York Knicks if Isiah is brought back.

It is being reported that Isiah met today with the Knick's front office personnel in Ocean City, New Jersey.

If accurate then Donnie Walsh and James Dolan have one heck of a decision.

For starters, would Isiah be coming back as a coach, general manger, or both?

Another issue is how will this be received by the New York fan base, many of whom blame Thomas for the teams dreadful track record the last 10 years.

This is actually hilarious if it's true. Just as New York was starting to erase the countless personnel and contract mistakes done by Isiah they might bring him back.

It's like getting food poisoning from a restaurant then after spending three days vomiting and not eating, you finally feel better and decide to go back to the same restaurant for dinner.

The fact that the two parties are even meeting has to indicate that Isiah can deliver Paul.

The scenario, if it's true will definitely be a bitter pill for the Knick fan base to have to swallow. They need and want Paul but at the price of Isiah coming back too?

Then there's also the Raymond Felton factor. New York just signed a point guard this off season and if Paul is obtained then you would have a good chunk of your cap space on a back up that will probably see very limited time.

Ultimately the thought of landing Paul will be much too intoxicating. Especially since it would be a strong move toward persuading Carmelo Anthony to join the Knicks next off season.

The Knicks may very well be on the verge of forming their own "Big Three". This would be great for the league, at least in regards to renewing a Miami Heat versus Knicks rivalry. Same can be said for New York and the Boston Celtics.

Walsh has to be salivating to get Paul. It would solidify his team as a contender and serve as a punch in the gut to the New Jersey Nets who were trying to grab a big chunk of the New York market over the next three years.

CP3 and Amare' Stoudemire would be a potent one-two punch. It would also signify a revival of a franchise that has had its share of struggles on the court for the past decade.

Isiah back in New York. Who would of thunk it?.

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While no one can be certain what this union of superstars means for the NBA or fantasy basketball just yet, it's at least worth several conversations.

However, that's not all that has been going on in the NBA. Take a look at the latest news, along with our expert fantasy advice where applicable:

Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets

As most NBA and fantasy basketball followers are aware by now, Chris Paul has expressed his desire (or demanded?) to be traded.

His list originally consisted of the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic, all teams (outside of the Knicks) fully ready to compete for an NBA championship.

However, he has recently named the Knicks as his top choice. With Paul wanting out and Darren Collison impressing people last season, this is a trade that could definitely go down before the season starts.

All four teams could use an upgrade or change at point guard, but Mike D'Atoni's fast-paced offense seems like the perfect fit. Paul would join Amar'e Stoudemire in New York and make the Knicks immediate contenders in the Eastern Conference.

His fantasy value would only climb in a point guard-friendly system like D'Antoni's.

David Lee, F/C, Golden State Warriors

Lee will reportedly miss the next 4-6 weeks due to a finger injury. Lee won't need surgery, however, so he is expected to be completely healthy and ready for the 2010-11 NBA season, despite missing the World Championships this summer due to the injury.

Fantasy owners can actually thank their lucky stars, as Lee's absence from USA's team means he'll be refreshed and healthy, and ready to dominate on a still high-octane Warriors offense.

Richard Jefferson, G/F, San Antonio Spurs

Jefferson and the Spurs have agreed to a multi-year deal that will give Jefferson some job security for the next few years.

The interesting thing here is that RJ opted out of his previous deal to take less money in a long-term deal. Perhaps the Spurs were discussing trading him, and he wanted to do what was necessary to stick with a contender.

From a fantasy perspective, this sounds just fine, as long as Jefferson can up his scoring average and not look so lost in San Antonio's offense.

Yao Ming, C, Houston Rockets

The Rockets have dismissed reports than their star center could miss the first two months of the 2010-11 season, instead claiming that he is fully expected to be ready for day one.

We'll believe it when we see it. However, if Ming is healthy, he could be a major fantasy steal and a good value pick, as well as a huge boost for a Rockets squad that is already on the brink of getting back into the playoffs.

For more NBA and fantasy basketball news , head over to Weekly Fantasy Sportal .

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Just as the dust was finally settling on LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh teaming up in Miami, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported that Chris Paul has asked the New Orleans Hornets to trade him, with the New York Knicks on the top of his list.

That's with the expectation that Carmelo Anthony will join him in the Big Apple, and with Amare Stoudemire they could take down the Big Three in Miami with a trio of their own.

"Those guys want to beat the three guys in Miami," a source close to the situation said, according to Broussard's article.

Knicks fans must be salivating at the prospect of netting an equally ferocious threesome as Miami.

But it is a watershed moment for the rest of the NBA.

Look at what this superstar-driven league has come to. Players are demanding to be traded where they want to go so they can get together with fellow stars and form so-called " super teams."

All these great players have suddenly lost confidence in themselves to lead a team to a title, and in sheer desperation, are colluding with other stars to dictate the direction of their new team.

For some reason, the popular opinion is a team needs three stars to compete for a championship.

Kobe Bryant is a superstar. Let's equate him with James and Anthony.

Pau Gasol is an All-Star power forward who complements Bryant nicely. Just as Bosh and Stoudemire would.

Then here's where the discrepancy occurs. Who is the next-best player on the Lakers? Probably Ron Artest.

He's nowhere near the level of Wade and Paul. Not by a long shot.

Obviously the goal is to form a team that's better than the competition. But having two teams that contain six of the top 15 players in the league is not good for parity and is terrible for the NBA's image, which is losing luster to begin with.

There simply are not enough stars to go around if some teams land three of them. If this scenario came to fruition, then a single star from the Cavaliers, Heat, Raptors, Suns, Nuggets, and Hornets would all converge in two cities.

Again, the NBA is a player-driven league. David West can't draw fans to Hornets games. Neither can Jose Calderon or Mo Williams.

It's sad that this is what the NBA is coming to. Stars are not as competitive as they used to be, and instead they are more about playing with their friends and winning championships.

The NBA Draft has never seemed more irrelevant as it did this year.

The impending lockout should provide a way to keep the league from falling apart.

If not, the NBA could turn into a two-team traveling circus.

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