New York, NY – The New York Knicks have officially agreed to a contract extension with swingman J.R. Smith that will keep the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year with the club for another four years.
The New York Daily News reported last Thursday that Smith signed a maximum deal allowable which will pay him approximately $25 million over the duration of the deal.
His contract was then finalized on Thursday, a day after the NBA's moratorium was lifted.
"Re-signing J.R. was one of our primary goals this offseason and we are thrilled to have him back," Knicks general manger Glen Grunwald said. "He made great strides this past season with his consistent play off the bench for us, and we look forward to his continued growth."
Smith averaged 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while coming off the bench for all 80 games he appeared in last season. The nine-year pro led all league reserves in scoring, 30-point games (seven) and 20-point efforts (29), while his point total ranked second to NBA scoring champ Carmelo Anthony among members of the Atlantic Division champion Knicks.
The 27-year-old Smith added 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game as an integral part of a New York squad that posted its highest win total (54) since 1996-97 and claimed the No. 2 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks lost to the Pacers in the conference semifinals.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.