Wesley Matthews Jr. and Dennis Smith Jr. said they were napping before the Mavericks' game against the Pistons on Thursday and woke up to the news that they had been dealt to the Knicks. The lesson might be, don't ever close your eyes as the trade deadline approaches.
Matthews and DeAndre Jordan were asked about the speculation that they could be very short-term pieces for the Knicks. Both are on expiring contracts, and if they aren't traded, they could be bought out to allow them to play for a contender.
"I'm happy here," Jordan said.
"Our job is to go out here and compete every night and get better," Matthews said. "It's not to read tabloids or social media and all that. I found out I was traded during a nap while getting ready to play Detroit. Things happen quickly. I didn't know what to expect. Every single day, I'm going to wake up, go to work, try to get better, try to get this team better and figure out how to get a win on Tuesday."
While the biggest pieces in the trade for the Knicks are the salary-cap space cleared and the two future first-round draft picks, they do have hopes for Smith. The team passed on him in the 2017 NBA draft, selecting Frank Ntilikina one spot ahead of where the Mavs picked Smith.
"I'm thankful to be here," Smith said. "I went through the draft process obviously, came up to New York for a little bit. I went out to eat with (current Knicks president and then-general manager) Steve Mills. We had a really good time. We built a solid relationship from the time that I was here last year, so I'm thankful to be here. It was already written, so I'm trying to hit the ground running, compete as hard as I can."
