Knicks' Jackson: Smith's 'delinquent behavior' precipitated trade to Cavs

It's probably not something J.R. Smith wants to hear as he looks for an NBA contract with little leverage, but New York Knicks president Phil Jackson has gone on record with some of the reasons why Smith and Iman Shumpert were moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers in January.

Jackson's travails last season were chronicled by fellow former coach and friend Charley Rosen in a series for ESPN.com. The latest installment covers the time around the Jan. 5 deal that sent Smith and Shumpert to the Cavs in a three-way deal that landed New York Lou Amundson, Lance Thomas, and Alex Kirk.

Jackson explains:

J.R. had been exhibiting some delinquent behavior and had gotten into the habit of coming late to team meetings, or missing them altogether. Also, Shump and Tim (Hardaway Jr.) were regressing, so I decided to meet with them separately. Smith was first on the list. He was supposed to carry the scoring load for the second unit and he wasn't doing the job. I also said that because of his unacceptable behavior, he had two strikes against him with this team. He didn't really respond. He's a very sensitive guy, with his big doe eyes. He looked like he was going to tear up. But he finally responded that he was going through some issues with his gal.

The series has been a candid, fascinating look into Jackson's mindset during the worst season in Knicks' franchise history.

I asked Fish what players were the biggest distractions. He said that although J.R. never talked back to him, he always walked around under a dark cloud. Derek was worried that negative energy was contagious. Shumpert was another problem. 'I like Shump,' says Jackson, 'but he has a very loud, big personality. It was difficult for most of the other guys to deal with, especially if things don't go well for him or the team.' The other nuisance, according to Jackson, was Sam Dalembert, who had fallen asleep in the pregame locker room sessions.

The Knicks waived Dalembert on the same day they made the trade, while Hardaway was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks last month.

On the topic of whether he notified franchise player Carmelo Anthony before the January trade, Jackson was forthright. "Not at all," he said. "If I had done so, Carmelo would have to lie to the media when they asked him about that possibility.

"If we ever had the opportunity to bring in an All-Star player, I'd certainly ask Carmelo if he thought he could play with the guy. Otherwise, it's appropriate to keep him out of the loop."

Smith and Shumpert had renaissances of sorts, going on to become key components in the Cavs' NBA Finals run. The Knicks finished 17-65.