Iman Shumpert on trade rumors: ‘It pissed me off’
By Ryan Donoho
ATLANTA- There was a report that surfaced today stating that New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert was involved in a potential trade with the Denver Nuggets for Kenneth Faried. All sides have come out and denied the report, but it has led people to believe that Shumpert could be shopped around.
The Knicks have been struggling of late, and came into Wednesday’s game against the Hawks just 2-4 on the season. They won 95-91, and Shumpert had just 5 points on 2 of 8 shooting. When asked about the trade rumors, Shumpert took them head on. “It pissed me off,” Shumpert proclaimed. “That’s what the New York media does.”
Shumpert was part of trade rumors last season, and it’s clear that he is starting to grow accustomed to them. “It’s not the first time, but it happens,” the Knicks’ guard added. Faried has been rumored to be trade bait for the Nuggets, and a Shumpert swap would benefit both teams. With Tyson Chandler being out, the Knicks are lacking depth and intensity inside, and the Nuggets could use a good defender on the wing.
His back up Tim Hardaway Jr. came in and scored 14 points in 15 minutes off the bench, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they start to play him more to test out what they have. Usually players will throw out the “no comment” bit, but Shumpert is clearly not happy.