J.R. Smith reportedly driving around NYC in armored car

It looks like New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith is already finding ways to spend some of the money from his new $24 million deal with the NBA team.

According to the New York Post, Smith was seen driving up to the restaurant Catch in Manhattan's  Meatpacking District behind the wheel of a Gurkha F5 armored vehicle. 

Smith, who’s recovering after surgery on his left knee in the off-season, rolled up to the hotspot in the $450,000 ride — which is made by Toronto-based Terradyne Armored Vehicles and used by police and the military. Smith parked the oversize truck on the street while he dined inside.

Hummers are so passe.

Knicks signed J.R. Smith to three-year deal — not four as reported

The revelation about J.R. Smith's knee surgery on Monday had a lot of people wondering where the New York Knicks' school of thought was.

The team reportedly knew their Sixth Man of the Year needed surgery in May, got it done in July, needs four months of rehab and the season begins in October.

Did the Knicks hide the shooting guard's injury during his free-agency or were they kept in the dark?

Next time, do the math.

Now another little fib by the Knicks has leaked out via The New York Times and it also has to do with basic mathematics and defies logic.

Maybe the Knicks didn't necessarily lie about the length of J.R. Smith's new deal—originally reported to be for four years at $24.5 million with a player option for the 2016-2017 season—but they certainly didn't correct the misconception.

According to the Times:

The precise terms were confirmed Tuesday by a rival team executive and a second person with access to the contract. Despite the intense scrutiny of the deal, Knicks General Manager Glen Grunwald made no attempt to correct the erroneous reports during a 16-minute conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The contract calls for Smith to make $5.57 million next season and $5.98 million in 2014-15, with a third-year player option at $6.4 million. It is still a considerable commitment for a player with a checkered career and now a surgically repaired left knee. But Grunwald betrayed no concern on Tuesday. 

Grunwald initially danced around the issue of Smith's timing for Monday's knee surgery. Because the rehab is expected to take between 12 and 16 weeks, the beginning of Smith's 2013-2014 season is now up in the air.

Ultimately Grunwald conceded that it was Smith's decision (a player cannot be forced by a team to have surgery) and once it was determined that his left knee wasn't responding to rest, both Smith and the Knicks opted for surgery.

Obviously Smith's decision was complicated by his status as a free agent (he opted out of his previous contract).

In any case, Monday's surgery to repair his patella tendon and to correct a tear in the lateral meniscus in Smith's left knee was deemed successful and Grunwald insists he does not regret the decision to re-sign the troubling Smith.

Summer school is now in session.

J.R. Smith ready to sign four-year deal with Knicks: Report

J.R. Smith and the New York Knicks are hammering out a contract extension that will keep the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with the team for another four years.

The deal could be completed by Thursday, reports The New York Daily News. Smith is expected to receive the “Average Player Salary Exception” which could amount to $24 million over four seasons.

According to the Daily News report,  the New York Knicks and Smith are finalizing a contract extension that will keep the shooting guard with the club until 2017.

Smith's signing assures the Knicks of having their top five players under contract next season — Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler. Also, according to a basketball site in Argentina, the Knicks have offered Pablo Prigioni a two-year contract extension.

A person who spoke to the 35-year-old free agent point guard on Wednesday told The News that Prigioni “hopes” a deal is completed “real soon.” Prigioni is a priority because Jason Kidd retired, leaving Felton as the team’s only point guard under contract.

The 27-year-old Smith averaged a career-best 18.1 points last season in 80 games, all as a reserve, and it became the Knicks’ focus this summer to re-sign him.

For months, Smith had said his desire was to return to the Knicks. The former New Jersey prep star also had two influential power brokers in his corner: Garden Chairman James Dolan and Anthony, who was also Smith’s teammate with the Denver Nuggets.

Smith’s best season, however, ended on a down note. The troubled star slumped in the playoffs, averaging 14.3 points and shooting 27% on three-pointers. The Knicks’ postseason took an ugly turn when Smith was suspended one game for elbowing then-Celtic Jason Terry at the end of the Game 3 of their first-round series. Although the Knicks went on to defeat Boston in six games and capture their first playoff series win in 13 years, they went 3-6 in their last nine playoff games starting with Game 4 against the Celtics.

Smith would be willing to sign elsewhere only if he received a lucrative contract that the Knicks, because of salary-cap restrictions, are unable to match. But the deal Smith would receive from the Knicks is comparable to what shooting guards are receiving this year. 

J.R. Smith's Twitter tease to fans: 'Fun while it lasted'

J.R. Smith — with his New York Knicks status loosely in one hand and his iPhone tight in the other — caused a commotion among Knicks fans when he tweeted, "It was fun while it lasted," Friday afternoon.

Was the Knicks free-agent guard announcing his departure from the team less than 24 hours after the Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr., a similar player? Or was Smith — who is well-known for  his outrageous tweets off the court— just teasing the Knicks faithful.

While only Smith knows for sure, the NBA's 2013 Sixth Man of the Year tweeted again soon after denying that the initial comment had anything to do with basketball.

“What y’all talking bout?” Smith wrote. “I’m talking bout the talk the cab driver an I just had!”

It was fun while it lasted...
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) June 28, 2013

What y'all talking bout? I'm talking bout the talk the cab driver an I just had! #FunnyDude
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) June 28, 2013

It wouldn't be the first time a tweet caused a commotion for Smith. Last year he was fined $25,000 by the NBA for posting a lewd naked photo of a woman and even pop star Rihanna, once a reported love interest, called him out on Instagram for partying too hard during the 2013 playoffs.

The Knicks, who have “early Bird rights” on Smith, only can offer him as much as $5.4 million per year. Teams under the cap — such as the Bucks, a rumored landing spot — can offer him more.

The 27-year-old Smith had a great regular season, averaging 18.1 points per game, but struggled mightily in the playoffs, averaging just 14.3 per contest on 33 percent shooting.