The Milwaukee Bucks have interest in New York Knicks free agents J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland, according to ESPN's Jared Zwerling and Chris Broussard.
J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland field interest from Bucks, according to report
The Bucks will likely have some cap room this offseason, and they’re seriously interested in chasing after the Knicks’ J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland.
The future of the Bucks' backcourt is currently in question, as Brandon Jennings is a restricted free agent and both Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick are unrestricted free agents. At least one, maybe two, of those of those players will likely return, but Milwaukee will still have some cap space to play with. They could use that on Smith to help replace whomever leaves.
Smith recently opted out of his $2.9 million contract for next year, and the most the Knicks can offer him is $5.58 million due to his early Bird rights. While Smith struggled in the playoffs, he proved his worth throughout the regular season, averaging 18.1 points and winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. The shooting guard has stated that he would like to remain in New York, but if he gets a hefty offer from Milwaukee, it’s possible he changes his mind.
As for Copeland, he just received a qualifying offer from New York, officially making him a restricted free agent. Because Copeland’s a non-Bird free agent, the most the Knicks can give him is the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which starts at $3.183 million this offseason. Like Smith, Copeland has expressed a desire to stay in New York.
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