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I don't quite understand what's going on here. A rough chronology of the Iman Shumpert trade rumors is: 1. Alex Kennedy reports the Knicks' interest in Jared Dudley, we all assume Shump would be part of any deal for Dudley. 2. Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Suns' interest in trading Dudley for Shumpert while denying any mutual interest from the Knicks 3. Knicks people like Mike Woodson and Carmelo Anthony vehemently dismiss any trade rumors. Shump says he's trying to ignore them. Glen Grunwald says nothing, of course.
It's been quiet for like a week now, but that was pretty much it, right? Well, now here's a new thing from Chris Sheridan at his eponymous website:
"There are major concerns (from people close to Shumpert) over how the Knicks are developing him," a source from another team told SheridanHoops.com, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
"They feel he’s being played out of position (at small forward) and his confidence is suffering because of it. They understand the team is having success and it has to be the right deal, but they’d prefer Iman in another situation… And soon."
So this is Sheridan hearing from a source with another team who heard from Shumpert's people that they-- not he-- are uncomfortable with how he's being developed in New York. That's a long way for information to travel. All this business about him being out of place at small forward (Is his role any different at that spot? Doesn't seem that way. Strikes me as a bullshit reason.) seems like a facade for someone somewhere along that telephone chain wanting him off the Knicks. But who is it? Is it Shump? Is it Shump's agent, Happy Walters? Is it another team forcing the seeds of disgruntlement on the Knicks to loosen their grip on Shumpert? Is it the Knicks themselves spreading rumors to lay the logical groundwork for a deal? I don't know.
Leaks always have a motive and the motive here is to get Shumpert dealt, but I'm not sure who the catalyst is. Thoughts?